Don't Look Back In Anger
by amandakid212
Summary: Starting from the beginning of book five, Audrey Callahan finds herself involved with the Order of the Phoenix and immersed in the Wizarding world she swore she'd never return to. But with Voldemort's return and a handsome Animagus at her side, she knows she can't ignore her past forever.
1. Chapter 1: Badhead

With a groan, Audrey Callahan lowered herself into her car and slammed the door shut behind her. She rested for a moment—her body was aching after her ten-hour shift at the hospital. She figured she ought to be grateful she wasn't working the night shift, but the hours always took their toll whether the sun was glowing through the hospital windows or not.

Halfway through her shift, she'd been called to the ER to help the other nurses there when a case of meningitis was diagnosed in a hotel employee. Every person staying at that hotel needed to be examined and cleared. It was tedious work, and Audrey was shouted at several times by patients for the inconvenience of having to spend all day in the hospital for seemingly no reason. But now she was off the clock. She could relax and she had a rare day off the following day.

Audrey couldn't sit still in the car for long—the August heat became stifling, even though the sun had already set. She turned the key in the ignition, waiting patiently for the engine to catch with a whine. Her poor Volkswagen had been in the Muggle world longer than she had, and it was showing the wear and tear that Audrey felt.

Guitars and shouting voices burst through the speakers, and Audrey yelped, forgetting how hard she jammed that morning to her Blur cassette. She twisted the volume lower, rolled down her windows, hesitated, and then cranked the music louder again.

Pulling out of the parking lot, Audrey didn't have to drive far to reach the more crowded and bustling section of London. She parked on the street in front of a row of shops, and a colorful young woman emerged from a small pub called the Leaky Cauldron. No one seemed to see her despite her conspicuous appearance. She had a blond afro that shone stunningly with her dark skin, and she wore layers of purple, green, and yellow scarves over a dark blouse with bright orange pants. Audrey seemed downright plain in comparison in her scrubs. The woman's outfit should have clashed horribly but it seemed to suit her. She hurried toward Audrey's car, finally leaning through the passenger window, and Audrey could see she was wearing chunky spectacles.

"Sure you couldn't use a drink?" the woman said. "Tom's got a two-for-one deal going on Firewhiskey tonight."

"I'm driving, Nat," Audrey laughed. "And with you, it's never just one drink. But you know my wine collection is always well-stocked."

"Not for long," Natalia grinned. She clambered into the car.

With a day off, Audrey invited her best friend, Natalia Laurie, to spend it with her. Paul, Audrey's boyfriend, was jealous, she could tell, but understanding, as usual. Paul was a Muggle and knew nothing of Audrey's past in the Wizarding world. Natalia was Audrey's last tie there, one Audrey refused to let go of. They'd been friends since their Hogwarts years, and Audrey trusted Natalia with every one of her secrets.

"I don't know how you listen to this Muggle music," Natalia said, wrinkling her nose, after Audrey merged onto the motorway.

"You know I have a soft spot for Muggle rock and roll," Audrey said.

"Yeah, it's getting worse as the years go by, isn't it?"

"Agree to disagree."

Natalia snorted and then smiled. "Can you play the song about the witch?"

Audrey smirked. "Yeah, look for the Fleetwood Mac cassette in the glove box."

Grinning, Natalia popped open the glove box and found the tape immediately. Audrey knew better than to ask Natalia to change the tapes, that is if she wanted her Blur cassette fully intact, so she did it herself. After all, Audrey was the one who condemned herself to Muggle life and its strange mechanics, not Natalia. But Audrey was used to it: she was Muggle-born and knew nothing of magic for the first eleven years of her life. She pressed fast forward and stopped the tape expertly just as the opening notes to "Rhiannon" began. This was not the first time Natalia had requested the song. Audrey watched as Natalia closed her eyes and swayed to the music, rolling her shoulders just as Audrey showed her Stevie Nicks did when she performed. Audrey felt her heart swell with affection.

An hour later, Audrey pulled the car into the quiet town of Little Whinging. They were nearly to her house, and Audrey was looking forward to a tall glass of wine. She was starting to feel sleepy, her busy day catching up to her, and she would be damned if she was going to waste the night by turning in to bed early, not that Natalia would allow that, by any means.

Suddenly, a large black dog bolted into the road, right in front of Audrey's headlights. She screamed and slammed on the brakes, but it was too late. Audrey watched the animal fly into the shadowy night as her Volkswagen struck it.

"What happened?" Natalia had been grooving to the Muggle music she claimed to dislike and hadn't noticed anything peculiar.

"A dog!" Audrey said, flinging her car door open and standing shakily. "I hit a dog! At least I think it was a dog."

It had been awfully large for a dog. Were there bears in Surrey? Audrey suddenly felt vulnerable to potential wildlife attacks outside her safe metal vehicle. From about twenty feet away, she heard a dog whine, and she rushed forward, her fear replaced with concern.

When she reached the figure lying in a crumpled heap on the ground, she froze. There was no dog, only a man with long, tangled black hair wearing a black cloak. But Audrey was certain she had seen an animal.

"Some dog," Natalia said when she reached the scene. She bent down and touched the man's cloak. "Shit, that's a wizard."

"An animagus?" Audrey surmised. "But what's he doing in Little Whinging?"

"Er, we might have a problem," Natalia said.

She pointed down the street where a curious neighbor was peering at them behind a neatly trimmed hedge. The Muggles who lived here were obsessed with normalcy and the appearance of perfection, and a major disruption to that image had just occurred right outside their doors. Naturally, they were prepared to investigate. Soon the whole nosy neighborhood would be hovering, wondering why a strange man in a cloak had been lurking on Magnolia Road. Audrey was not in the mood to have her established non-magical persona wrecked that night, but her medicinal background took control.

"He really shouldn't be moved until I take a look at him," Audrey said nervously.

Natalia rolled her eyes. "You've been in the Muggle world for too long. _Immobulus_."

She cast the charm quietly, and the man became rigid but securely remained in his sprawled position in the street. Audrey breathed a sigh of relief—now he could be moved freely without aggravating potential injuries.

"Oh, my God, Natalia," she said. "For a moment I thought you were going to magic him right into the car in front of the whole Muggle neighborhood."

"I'm not an idiot," Natalia said with a smirk. "Come on, help me carry him to your car before someone fetches the Muggle police."

With difficulty, the two women put the frozen man in the backseat and drove the short distance to Audrey's house. Somehow, they unlocked the front door, brought the man to the living room, and placed him on the couch, where he lay as stiff as a board, without arousing suspicion.

"Let's see what we're dealing with," Audrey said, panting, as she flicked on a lamp.

The man stood out prominently with his black cloak in Audrey's light-colored living room, but then so did Natalia with her scarves. The walls were beige, and the carpets were light grey. The couch was white and had a matching chair that looked incredibly cozy. On one edge of the room was a small fireplace, and along the back wall were rows of shelves filled with books of all kinds. It stood just as plainly as her father designed it when Audrey was small. Beside the shelves stood Audrey's addition to the room: a full stereo, complete with a record player, cassette deck, and CD player. Audrey hadn't invested in CDs yet but she liked knowing she could listen to them when the time came. She turned her attention back to the mass on her couch.

Natalia stood back while Audrey examined the man. Audrey was a trained healer before she left the Wizarding world and translated the experience to become a nurse with the Muggles. Natalia had a knack for potion-making, an essential part of being a healer, but lacked a decent bedside manner. She stuck to behind-the-scenes potion brewing as a profession.

Audrey noticed the man's cloak had no trace of blood and didn't see any limbs sticking out at odd angles. His pulse was only slightly elevated, and his breathing was regular. It was difficult to ascertain much else without equipment or a conscious patient. She stood with a sigh.

"He seems alright, but I don't really want to undress the man to check for signs of bruising right now. He does have a nasty gash on his head." Audrey pushed back a lock of black hair to show Natalia. "Just there. We should probably wake him up to be sure, ask him where he's hurting and all that. And—hey, what's the matter with you?"

Natalia's face had gone ashen. She grabbed Audrey's arm and pulled her out of the room to the hall.

"Ouch, come off it! What are you doing?"

"That's Sirius Black," Natalia whispered urgently.


	2. Chapter 2: Thirsty Dog

"What? No…" Audrey's heart sank at the notorious name. Sirius Black? She hadn't paid attention to the man's face, only seeing a patient's body that needed to be healed. Had she really hit an infamous mass murderer with her Volkswagen and then smuggled him into her own home to treat his wounds?

"His face has been all over the news for years, Audrey," Natalia said. "Even the Muggles know who he is. I'm telling you, that man is Sirius Black."

Audrey peered around the door frame to the living room. With his hair pushed aside, the man's face was clearly visible. His face was less gaunt, but his cheekbones still cut sharply across his face, just like his mugshot. She was glad his eyes were closed because his demonic stare frightened her even through a photograph. She could tell clearly enough that Natalia was right.

"Oh, my God, Sirius Black is on my couch." Audrey felt panic rising in her chest. "What do we do?"

"We're not waking him up, that's for damn sure," Natalia said. She looked back at the living room and pointed her wand toward Sirius.

" _Accio wand_!"

A long, sturdy wand zoomed out of Sirius's cloak and into Natalia's outstretched hand.

"Should- should I call the police?" Audrey asked tentatively.

"The Muggle police? Are you kidding? You know what he's done, what he can do. He's dangerous! Audrey, please fetch your wand. I definitely shouldn't be the only one armed here."

Audrey gave herself a shake and went to her cupboard under the stairs. She stowed all of her magical items there in a trunk, out of sight from potential Muggle visitors. She sorted through her spellbooks, her cauldron, and even a bewitched radio that received both Muggle and Wizarding stations. Finally, from a thin box, she retrieved her wand: pear and unicorn hair. It was warm in her hand.

Rushing back to Natalia's side, Audrey said, "I read somewhere he'd been spotted in South America. What's he doing back in the country?"

"Dunno," Natalia said tensely. "But he'll be back with the dementors in Azkaban before long. We have to go back in there. I need to use your fire to call the Ministry."

"Who do you know in the Ministry?" Audrey asked, impressed, as they both raised their wands and reentered the living room.

"Some girl I met." Natalia shrugged in a dismissive way and headed for the fireplace. She ignited it quickly, shooting flames from the tip of her wand.

Audrey couldn't stop herself from smiling despite the dire situation. "Natalia Laurie, are you seeing someone?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe." Natalia pursed her lips. "It's nothing serious at least. Can you just—hey, where's your Floo powder?"

"It's just in the cupboard. Hang on, I'll grab it."

"I'd rather you didn't."

Both women shrieked and clung to each other as Sirius Black's husky voice came from the couch behind them. Calming themselves, they brandished their wands toward him. Finally face to face with his notorious eyes, Audrey thought Sirius Black didn't look mad at all, just tired and sad.

"We know who you are, Sirius Black," Natalia said bravely. "We called the Ministry, and they're on their way here to take you to the dementors."

"We all know that's not true," Sirius said. "I've been conscious for a while now, just waiting for your Freezing Charm to wear off. Didn't affect my hearing at all."

Sirius drew a shaky breath and pulled himself into a sitting position, groaning and clutching his abdomen as he did. _His ribs are broken_ , Audrey thought, _we've got him_.

"What do you want?" Audrey dared to ask. If she could just keep him talking…

"Nothing with the two of you, I can assure you," Sirius said. "I forgive you for hitting me with your car, by the way, but I really must be going. I don't want to hurt you."

He moved like he wanted to stand but remained seated, grimacing in pain.

Natalia scoffed, "Like we would believe that, coming from a convicted murderer."

"Convicted, yes, but never tried," Sirius said. "I'm not a murderer."

"Sounds like something a murderer would say," Natalia said. "Dozens of witnesses say differently. I don't suppose you expect us to believe a gas leak really did cause an explosion that killed all those people?"

"No," Sirius said sourly, "but you wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth either. Now all I want to do is leave quietly. But I think you've learned by now, healer, that I'm injured."

Sirius looked to Audrey, who was almost to the door and ready to snatch the Floo powder from her trunk in the cupboard.

"I'm not sure how to make you believe me, but I just want to be on my way," Sirius continued. "I can't do that unless you heal me. I'm entirely at your mercy, you and the mean one. That's not something I like to admit."

Audrey hesitated. She owed nothing to this man who most likely killed dozens of people. He'd probably say anything to save his own skin. Yet there was an earnestness about him that seemed to be meant for someone else, as if it wasn't just himself he was trying to save that night. She looked into his eyes and saw not the manic and frenzied look from newspaper clippings, but a piercing, calm stare from genuine grey eyes. She felt some of her resolve drop and be replaced by curiosity. What was this guy's deal?

Natalia broke in angrily. "We don't want to hear—"

"What are you doing in Little Whinging?" Audrey asked suddenly.

"I'm here for my godson," Sirius said. "I'm taking him home with me."

"Your godson?" Audrey had a hard time believing Sirius Black's godson was her next-door neighbor, especially in this prissy, non-magical town. "Who is your godson?"

Sirius hesitated before saying, "Harry Potter."

"You've come to finish off little Harry Potter, is that it?" Natalia shouted.

"No, you don't understand—"

"Harry Potter lives here?" Audrey was astounded. She'd lived in this house most of her life. Surely, she would have known if the boy who saved the Wizarding world had moved in, right?

"Number four, Privet Drive," Sirius admitted.

"Number four… not Petunia Dursley's place?"

"The very same. She's his mother's sister."

Audrey's mouth dropped open. Petunia Dursley was the snobbiest woman in town, and her husband had always looked on anyone out of the ordinary with such disdain. She'd just run into their fat pig of a son the other night and chased him and his gang away from the playground. They were tagging it with spray paint. She pitied anyone who had to deal with that lot on a regular basis. She could faintly remember a rumor she heard about Petunia's nephew being sent to a delinquent school… Could that be a cover story for Harry Potter going to Hogwarts?

"How dreadful," Audrey concluded.

"The boy's with his family. Why does he need to go with you, then?" Natalia asked harshly.

She seemed to have struck a nerve because Sirius bristled, but he finally sighed and then winced as the breath caused him pain. "Circumstances have changed, and he'll be safer with me."

"Says who?" Natalia challenged.

"Albus Dumbledore."

Both women erupted into laughter. The greatest wizard of this century in league with Sirius Black? Audrey almost walked straight to the cupboard to fetch the Floo powder.

"I guess you didn't hear about the dementors in Little Whinging tonight," Sirius said quietly.

They stopped laughing at once.

"You really are as mad as they say," Natalia said with a frown. "What would dementors be doing out of Azkaban?"

"Besides looking for you," Audrey added. She'd never run into a dementor before and shuddered at the idea that one could be lurking just outside her door.

"Have you heard the rumors," Sirius began slowly, "that Voldemort has returned?"

Natalia gave a shout at the sound of the Dark Lord's name. Audrey felt as if ice water had been poured down the back of her neck and spread to her spine. She heard rumors, of course—everyone had. She knew years ago that it was only a matter of time before he returned stronger than ever, hence her decision to leave the magical world. As a Muggle-born, Audrey knew she'd be less than welcome in a world overrun by You-Know-Who. She was only eleven and in her first year at Hogwarts when the Dark Lord fell from power. She was barely familiar with magic and didn't know the full extent of the horrors he wreaked, but she was taught to fear his name. When that patient entered St. Mungo's four years ago, she knew the Wizarding world's worst fears would soon return.

"Yes," Audrey managed to say. She stole a glance at Natalia. She knew every detail about Audrey's past and was now giving Audrey an apprehensive look.

"They're true," Sirius said, "and he's recruiting. Seems he's already gotten to the dementors."

"But the Ministry—" Natalia began.

"The Ministry won't hear anything about it," Sirius interrupted. "Fudge is going mad with denial, but he's trying to paint it so Harry and Dumbledore are the mad ones. Have you been reading the Prophet?"

"I knew Dumbledore wasn't losing his marbles!" Natalia exclaimed, adding quickly, "Not that we're believing your story, mind."

"Could it be possible the mean one is coming around?" Sirius said with a smirk. Natalia shot him a warning look.

"The dementors tried to finish off Harry Potter?" Audrey said, still unable to shake the image of a dementor outside her window.

"We think Voldemort wanted to force Harry to use magic and break the underage magical law," Sirius said. "It worked. Harry produced a Patronus to save him and his lump of a cousin, and the Ministry expelled him from Hogwarts."

"There's no way that can be allowed!" Natalia shouted.

"Harry can cast a Patronus charm?" Audrey said in awe. "That's very advanced magic for a kid."

"He's fifteen," Sirius said, his rough voice not masking pride.

"Surely Dumbledore has a say in this?" Audrey said.

"You're right, healer, he does," Sirius responded. "He's arranged a hearing with the Ministry in a few weeks. He's meant to stay with me until then."

"Dumbledore wouldn't let Harry be expelled," Natalia said. "His life was in danger."

"I'm sure you're right," Sirius said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Is Dumbledore the 'we' you mentioned earlier?" Audrey asked.

"What? Oh, yes." It was the first time Audrey felt like Sirius lied to them, yet she wasn't offended. It just affirmed her instinct that everything he said prior to that was true.

"If you're really not a murderer, what happened to all those people back in 1981?" Natalia ventured.

Sirius sighed, moaning in pain afterward. "I'm not sure there's time to explain it properly tonight. For now, I'll ask you to trust me. It's getting very late, and, to be honest, I'm in a good deal of pain. Will you let me go?"

Sirius asked them to trust him, and, for some crazy reason, Audrey did. One glance at Natalia proved they were in mutual agreement. Audrey knelt in front of Sirius warily.

"I'll heal you, but we can't give you your wand back," she said.

"I—"

"And we're going with you to get Harry," Natalia said sharply. "Just to make sure he really will be safe with you."

"I think you'll be accompanying me longer than that," Sirius said.

Natalia opened her mouth to protest, but Sirius interrupted her. "I've told you too much, I'm afraid. I need to hear from the others about what to do with you now."

Audrey's eyes widened in panic. Was Sirius going to kill them after all? Sirius saw her expression and laughed out loud. It sounded like a bark, but then he grunted and clutched his ribs.

"Haven't I told you I'm not going to hurt you? I'm not going to harm anyone tonight, except maybe Vernon Dursley if anything's wrong with my godson."

Audrey looked back at Natalia to see what she was thinking, but her eyes were on Sirius. She was biting her lip, evidently feeling the same mixed sentiments that Audrey did. Shaking her head, Audrey decided to do what she did best and heal this man. She'd face whatever consequences came when they did.

She pulled Sirius's cloak aside. "Hold your shirt up," she said.

Sirius obeyed, revealing his thin, pale torso. Audrey focused on the bruising on his right side. She placed a hand delicately on the area and pointed her wand, murmuring the spell she learned so well years ago. She felt the bones move back into place beneath her hand, and Sirius moaned.

"You'll be sore for a few days, but you'll be fine," Audrey said, still not sure if she was doing the right thing. "Oh, one more thing."

Audrey touched Sirius's cheek lightly and tapped her wand to his head. The bloody gash disappeared.

Sirius brought his hand to his head in surprise. "I didn't even know that was there."

"There's your proof," Audrey said gesturing to the fresh blood stain on her white couch. She waved her wand, and the blood was gone.

"Bet you miss doing that, don't you?" Natalia laughed. "Sure would make your job a lot easier if you could bring your wand to work."

"I'm a nurse at a Muggle hospital," Audrey explained, and before Sirius could ask any more about it, she said, "Urgently off to Privet Drive, aren't we?"

"But you're not going out dressed like that," Natalia said, gesturing to Audrey's scrubs. "You look ridiculous."

Audrey wanted to point out that Natalia was one to talk with her many scarves, but Natalia moved out of the room and into the kitchen. Audrey could hear her rummaging through her cabinets.

"I think I'll have some of that wine you promised me while you're changing," she said. "Oh, never mind, here's some brandy. Will you have a glass, Sirius?"

Sirius stood warily, grunting a little. If Audrey were him, she wouldn't mind a bit of booze to knock the edge off his soreness. He was taller than she thought he'd be, which made his menacing reputation more plausible.

"A quick one, then," he shouted back to Natalia. With the ghost of a smile, he slipped out of the room to join her.


	3. Chapter 3: Emotions

Audrey climbed the stairs toward her bedroom. Her old robes from her Wizarding days were down in her cupboard, but she wasn't ready to break them out just yet. Besides, Privet Drive was still part of the Muggle world, and she'd be damned if she blew her own cover just because she was going to meet Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. Instead she slipped on some jeans and a Nirvana T-shirt. She pulled on a flannel shirt as well. The heat of the day must have long faded into a chilly night. Looking in the mirror, she noted her blonde hair stayed miraculously tidy in its ponytail throughout her busy shift. Bags blossomed under her lidded blue eyes, but there was no time to bring out her make-up bag. She doubted a fifteen-year-old boy would care what she looked like anyway and kicked herself for her secret desire to impress the kid. She tugged on her Converse and descended to the kitchen.

Natalia was examining Sirius with interest over her glass while Sirius looked down at the tiled floor. He glanced up at Audrey's entrance and smirked at her Muggle clothing. He gulped his drink then, too quickly, and choked. He turned away toward the countertop as he tried to stifle his coughs.

" _Anapneo_ ," Natalia said, flicking her wand casually. Sirius stopped coughing at once.

"Shall we?" Audrey said, raising her eyebrows.

Natalia drained her glass and grinned at Audrey. A bit of booze and a promise of adventure always put Natalia in a great mood. But Audrey just thought of something and she turned to Sirius.

"You're not going to shift into a dog again, are you?" she said. "That wouldn't be a good idea considering the injuries you just sustained."

Sirius frowned. "I can't exactly walk around as myself, can I?"

"It's dark," Natalia said. "I wouldn't worry about being recognized here."

"I'm less worried about the Muggles than I am about the fact that dementors were here tonight," Sirius said. "I'm a wanted man, remember?"

"But you can strut right past them as a dog?" Audrey asked incredulously.

"It's how I got out of Azkaban." Sirius shrugged. "Dementors only feed off human happiness, it seems. Can either of you produce a Patronus?"

Natalia and Audrey exchanged looks. The Patronus charm wasn't exactly taught at Hogwarts, and Audrey had been away from the Wizarding world for several years. She could remember an article in one of the magazines at St. Mungo's describing the complex spell.

"Theoretically," Audrey responded. Sirius didn't seem convinced.

"With any luck, we won't need to," Natalia said. "You said the dementors were there to force Harry Potter to use magic. Well, he's done it, hasn't he? They've done their job and have probably gone on their way."

"Worst case scenario," Audrey continued, "we can't cast a Patronus. I'd throw safety out the window and shift into a dog, Sirius, in that situation. I'll see about re-mending your ribs afterwards."

"By then, it might be too late," Sirius said. His eyes had a strange glazed look to them, as if his mind were someplace else.

"We'll hop in my car," Audrey suggested. "The vehicle will give us a barrier to the Dursleys' lawn, at least."

Sirius nodded curtly. Audrey moved to the front door and peered outside. There was no movement on either end of the street.

"Wait here," she said. "I'll unlock the car and then, Natalia, when you hear me start it, watch Sirius's back and come out."

Audrey ventured to her driveway. Was the night darker than usual? A breeze played with her hair, and she shivered. Her hands shook as she fumbled with her keys in the lock. Finally, she wrenched open her car door. She leaned across the seats to unlock the other doors. Then, she settled in and started the engine.

Like two shadows, one colorful and one black, Natalia and Sirius darted to the car. Natalia clambered into the passenger seat while Sirius dove into the back. Audrey reversed swiftly into the street and drove toward Privet Drive.

"Number four, number four…" Audrey murmured. She focused on the road but couldn't stop glancing around her. She was sure something was lurking in the shadows. Beside her, Natalia was doing the same thing. She sat tensely, her hand grasping her wand. Sirius was silent behind them.

Finally, she stopped the car in front of a pristine house that looked exactly like the ones beside it. Somehow, this house gave off a haughty air, as if it considered its walls to be the most gray and its grass to be the greenest in the neighborhood.

"Ready?" Audrey asked. Natalia and Sirius nodded. "I've got your front then if you'll get his back, Nat."

With that, the trio set off for the house, making a tense beeline for the front door. Finally, Sirius knocked urgently. After a long moment, Petunia Dursley opened the door hesitantly.

"Petunia?" Audrey said before Sirius could open his mouth. She didn't trust the dark look in his eye and she knew they needed to get inside the house quickly. "Audrey Callahan from Magnolia Road. Could we come in for a moment?"

Petunia eyed Sirius's cloak and Natalia's scarves and was about to protest. Audrey pushed past the bony woman and into her landing with Sirius and Natalia at her heels.

"What's this then?" Petunia was indignant, and her long neck seemed to lengthen as she craned her head outside the door. She seemed satisfied no one had seen the strange party enter her home and she clicked the door closed, shielding them from potential prying eyes. Audrey was relieved she could count on Petunia's desire to hide anything unusual from the rest of the neighborhood.

"Petunia, who—" A beefy man emerged from the kitchen, and Audrey recognized him as Petunia's husband Vernon. His face colored in fury upon seeing three peculiarly-dressed strangers in his hallway. "Just what do you think—who are you people?"

"I'm here for my godson," Sirius said harshly, eyeing Vernon with dislike. Audrey thought perhaps they should act more courteously toward the Dursleys but she couldn't blame Sirius. They weren't the most pleasant people.

"Sirius?"

A teenage boy with glasses and untidy black hair peered into the landing from upstairs. He was beaming and rushed down to the join them in the hall at once.

"Good to see you, Harry," Sirius said, his anger melting away. He returned the smile and gave the boy a one-armed hug.

"Go back to your room this instant!" Vernon shouted.

"I'm afraid we've got to get moving actually," Sirius said. "Rather urgent. Have you got your trunk packed, Harry?"

"Give me two minutes," Harry said. He gave Audrey and Natalia a curious look and darted back up the stairs.

"You're the godfather, eh?" Vernon said, sizing Sirius up. "The murderer?"

"That's me," Sirius said coolly.

"Come to take the boy off our hands for good, have you?"

"I wish," Sirius said. "He'll be back next summer."

"We'll see about that," Vernon challenged.

"Vernon, don't!" Petunia said shrilly. Then she pursed her lips, looking like she wished she hadn't said anything at all. She was staring at Sirius, her eyes wide with fear.

Vernon's beady eyes fell on Audrey and they narrowed.

"I've seen you before. You live in the neighborhood, don't you? Well, I see the kind of riff-raff you hang around with."

He frowned as he observed Natalia, looking offended that such an ostentatious outfit had crossed his threshold.

"Going to run off and tell the neighbors?" Audrey said more bravely than she felt. "Maybe I'll beat you to it and mention under whose roof we gathered tonight."

Vernon sneered, and Petunia let out a high-pitched croak. Audrey knew her secret would remain safe with these people who cared so much about their reputation. A small moan came from behind her, and Audrey saw an incredibly fat boy that she knew was Dudley Dursley. He looked quite ill slumped in a chair in the kitchen.

"Is this the boy who met the dementors?" Natalia said. No one answered. "He should have some chocolate. He'll feel better."

Dudley perked up at the mention of sweets, but Petunia found her voice. "Dudders is on a strict diet, not that it's any of your business."

"It's medicinal," Natalia said, shrugging, but she didn't push the issue further. Audrey was impressed Natalia remembered the treatment for a dementor attack. Defense Against the Dark Arts back at Hogwarts was a long time ago.

Harry reappeared dragging a trunk and a cage with a snowy owl down the stairs. Natalia looked like she wanted to help, nearly lifting her wand to levitate the heavy luggage, but she knew better. The Dursleys were Muggles, despite their knowledge of magic, and it wouldn't be prudent to attract more attention from the Ministry for poor Harry Potter.

"Ready then?" Sirius said, his eyes smiling upon his godson.

"Absolutely," Harry responded.

"Then until next time, Dursleys," Sirius said. He gestured for Audrey to lead the way to the car. She caught a repulsed look from Petunia and then hesitated at the door, checking that the coast was clear. Then they hurried to car. Natalia helped Harry get his belongings into the trunk of the car and then hurried to hop in the passenger seat. Harry joined Sirius in the back.

Audrey started driving toward the highway, though she had no idea where Sirius lived at all. When she felt she put enough distance between them and potential dementors, she spoke up.

"Where am I going now?"

"Islington," Sirius responded, relaxing. "Head toward London. I don't know these Muggle roads."

"Is this a Muggle car then?" Harry asked.

"It sure is," Audrey answered. She kept her voice light, though she was nervous. She never met a celebrity before, even if this one was only fifteen.

"Not to be rude or anything," Harry asked, "but who are you?"

Sirius laughed. "I'd actually like to know that myself."

"Forgive me, Harry," Natalia said. "Natalia Laurie."

"Audrey Callahan."

"And are you both witches then?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Natalia said with a snort.

"Then what are you doing with a Muggle car? And living in Little Whinging?"

"Well," Audrey faltered. These questions were getting personal quite quickly, but she wanted to be honest with the kid. "I'm living as a Muggle at the moment. I'm a nurse in London. My house on Magnolia Road belonged to my parents, both Muggles, so I'm staying there now as they're both gone."

Natalia lifted Audrey's anxiety with a grin. "I'm not as undercover as Audrey. I'm a potioneer."

"Really?" Harry was a curious boy, but his questions weren't pestering at all. "What's that like?"

"A bit boring sometimes," Natalia said. "I brew the same potions day in and day out, but I do experiment with colors and odors. Ever hear of Althea's Acne Ointment, Harry?"

Harry shook his head.

"That's one of the lines I work for. Used to smell like wet dog, didn't it, Audrey? Well, it's because of me it's got the pleasant wisteria scent it's got now."

"How do you know Sirius?" Harry seemed tense suddenly.

"We just sort of ran into him," Audrey shrugged.

"Literally," Sirius said, bringing a hand to his ribcage. Seeing the look on Harry's face, Sirius patted him warmly on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Harry, they're not sending me to Azkaban. They're here to help, more than they realize."

Audrey and Natalia exchanged looks but said nothing. A glance into the backseat told Audrey that Harry was just as confused as they were. An hour later, they reached the city, and Sirius tried to describe his house's location. Unfamiliar with the area, however, Audrey wasn't sure which way to turn. Finally, they passed a massive statue that Sirius recognized, and he told them to stop the car on a street called Grimmauld Place.

"Wait here a moment, won't you?" Sirius said as Harry exited the car.

Audrey watched as they crossed the street. They paused, and Sirius handed Harry a slip of paper. Then they approached an empty alleyway between two townhouses and disappeared. Audrey felt nervous suddenly. What was she doing in an unfamiliar part of town waiting for Sirius Black? He could return and kill both her and Natalia. For some reason, Audrey didn't believe that would happen, but what was stopping her from turning her car around and going home? She turned the volume on the radio up, and Mariah Carey's high notes offered a welcome distraction to her racing mind.

"We could leave," Natalia said, echoing Audrey's thoughts. "Right now."

"Sirius says we know too much," Audrey said. "Maybe we're in too deep to go anywhere."

"But you didn't even want to be a part of our world anymore, and now we just drove to London in the middle of the night with Sirius Black and Harry Potter. There aren't bigger names than that except for maybe Albus Dumbledore."

Audrey didn't say anything, so Natalia continued, "I'm serious, if you want to go back to your place, we can."

"Do you want to leave?"

Natalia paused and then shook her head.

"Me neither, to be honest," Audrey sighed. "I think we're getting into something big here. I mean, everything's topsy turvy, isn't it? Sirius Black might not be a murderer and could have been falsely imprisoned for twelve years. The Ministry is trying to expel Harry Potter. And You-Know-Who…"

Audrey trailed off. She was afraid, but if she was being honest, she had been afraid for a long time. And she was tired of it. Hitting Sirius Black with her Volkswagen gave her an opportunity to do something, to use that fear in her belly and turn it into action. She had a feeling that when Sirius returned from the alleyway, he would tell her she could do some good in the world, maybe even save people's lives, and she was actually looking forward to it.

But Sirius did not come back from the alley. An old, thin man strode toward them, and as he stepped out of the shadows and into the lights of the street, Natalia swore loudly. He had long silver hair and beard and wore purple robes. Half-moon spectacles were perched on his crooked nose. As he reached the car, he knocked lightly on the window, which Audrey rolled down hurriedly.

"Audrey Callahan and Natalia Laurie," Albus Dumbledore said. "It's been a long time."


	4. Chapter 4: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

"Professor Dumbledore!" Natalia exclaimed. Audrey found she couldn't speak. Her jaw hung open stupidly. She could remember laughing ludicrously at the idea of Sirius Black being in cahoots with Dumbledore, yet the man stood in front of them now.

"There's no need to call me 'professor' any longer," Dumbledore said. His brilliant blue eyes were crinkled in a smile. "You haven't been students of mine for years."

"Sorry, sir," Natalia muttered, subdued. "We were just—"

"Not leaving, I hope," Dumbledore said, raising his eyebrows. "I was going to invite you inside."

Audrey and Natalia glanced at the alleyway apprehensively. Dumbledore was probably the most trustworthy wizard in the world, but they weren't dumb enough to walk into a dark alley without knowing what was happening. Dumbledore noticed their apprehension.

"Sirius's house is protected by a Fidelius charm. I am its Secret Keeper. Only I can give you the address so the building will become visible to you. But before I do, I must ask where your allegiances lie."

"Well, not with You-Know-Who, sir," Natalia said quickly, "if that's what you're asking."

"In fact," Audrey said, finding her voice, "I'd go so far as to say directly against him."

"I see," Dumbledore said, eyeing them carefully. "And are you willing to join the fight against Voldemort now that he has returned?"

It was a loaded question, and both women knew it.

"Yes," Audrey spoke first. She surprised herself with her own confidence.

Natalia nodded. "Yes, me too."

"You are young," Dumbledore said. "Perhaps you don't remember the horrors Voldemort committed years ago, but it would be foolhardy of me not to warn you of the dangers involved in standing against him. Many have died doing so."

Natalia turned to Audrey with an unreadable expression.

"It's worth it, isn't it?" she said. "I couldn't bear to live in a world he designed."

Audrey swallowed. "I don't think I'd be allowed to live in that world."

"Exactly," Natalia said. "If You-Know-Who's really back, he needs to be stopped. I want to help."

"Me, too," Audrey said firmly, though she had no idea what she had to offer this resistance.

Dumbledore stood up from the window satisfied. "Twelve Grimmauld Place, London. Remember that."

Behind Dumbledore, an elegant townhouse appeared in the empty alleyway. The house was old and dreary, but warm lights shone through the windows invitingly. It looked like it was once magnificent and regal yet time had worn it down to shambles.

"I now invite you to join the Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore continued. "We stand together against Voldemort. You're welcome inside. I expect Molly Weasley has just started preparing dinner."

Dumbledore backed away from them with a wry smile and started down the street.

"Aren't you coming, sir?" Natalia asked, leaning out of the car.

"No, I've got an appointment elsewhere," he said. "And I suggest you avoid ringing the doorbell."

He took a few more steps and then Disapparated with a cracking sound. Audrey and Natalia stared at each other in disbelief.

"What a night this has turned out to be," Natalia mused.

"To the house, then?" Audrey said.

"I hope there's wine." Natalia opened the car door and stepped into the street.

As they approached the looming house, Audrey could hear the pulsing bass of the neighbor's stereo and wondered if the Muggles who lived there noticed witches and wizards coming in and out of an apparently empty alleyway. She imagined not. There were a lot of things Muggles never seemed to see. As she and Natalia climbed the stone steps to the door, Audrey could see the paint was chipped and the windows were grimy. She knocked.

After a series of metallic clicking sounds, the door swung open to reveal a deeply scarred man with a magical eye that spun wildly in its socket.

"Identify yourselves," he demanded.

"Audrey Callahan."

"Natalia Laurie."

The man stood silently for a moment, his magical eye swiveling between the two women, and Audrey had an uncomfortable feeling the eye could see straight through her. Finally, he stepped aside to let them into the house.

"Enter quickly."

They obeyed, scurrying past him into a dimly-lit hallway. The man tapped his wand on the door as it shut, and several locks clicked into place.

"Alastor Moody," the man grumbled. With a heavy limp, he led them down the hall and into a stonewalled kitchen. The long table was crowded at the far end, and excited voices silenced at once upon Natalia and Audrey's entrance.

"Glad you could make it," Sirius said at the head of the table, breaking into a grin. "This is Audrey and Natalia, our new recruits."

"It's been a long time," said a red-haired man with a ponytail, leaning forward with interest.

"Wait, Bill Weasley? No way!" Natalia squealed.

"I was wondering if you'd remember me," Bill said with a smile. He turned to Sirius with something like pride. "Both in my year at Hogwarts."

"How could we forget the coolest kid in school?" Natalia shrieked. Audrey didn't speak but she wished Natalia would calm down. They hardly knew Bill in school; he was in Gryffindor, and they were both Hufflepuffs. She recalled a good-looking redhead in Herbology class, but she never spoke to him beyond asking, "Could you pass the dragon dung?" Then again, he was hard to miss with that strong jawline and Head Boy badge their seventh year. The real wonder was that Bill recognized the two of them.

"Way to fuel his ego," said a woman with bubblegum pink hair beside Bill. "I don't remember him being that cool."

"Tonks? Dora Tonks?" Audrey couldn't hold back her delight. Tonks was a few years younger than Audrey, but she was a regular laugh riot. Audrey's mind suddenly filled with late night memories in the Hufflepuff common room, roaring in delight as Tonks used her Metamorphmagus abilities to transform her nose into a pig snout or a duck bill.

"Wotcher, Audrey," Tonks said with a wink. "Natalia."

"Wow, it really has been a long time," Natalia said, eyeing Tonks with supreme interest. "I absolutely love what you've done with your hair."

Tonks beamed, but Moody cleared his throat loudly.

"We can save the catching up for later," he said. "Best we get down to business before the young ones storm into the room."

"Harry's upstairs," Sirius explained.

"Probably trying to learn all he can from Ron and Hermione," Bill chuckled.

"I'd be doing the same if I were him," said a shabby looking man with graying hair.

"He's got a right to know, if you ask me," Sirius said urgently.

"Oh, that's enough of that!" a short red-haired woman by the stove said. She hurried to join them at the table. "He's not even of age! There's no sense in scaring the poor boy with things meant for older ears. That reminds me… _Impertibus_!"

She aimed her wand at the kitchen door which shut and seemed to seal itself.

"My clever twin boys have developed a sort of eavesdropping contraption, so an Imperturbable Charm has become extremely necessary in this house," the woman explained, giving Audrey and Natalia a warm but strained smile. "I'm Molly, by the way, Bill's mother. Do sit down. You'll be staying for dinner."

It wasn't a question and Audrey felt a rush of gratitude for this kind woman. Audrey took a seat beside the shabby man and Natalia slid next to her, fixated on Tonks. Tonks stood with a start.

"What can I help you with, Molly?"

She moved toward the stove but snagged her boot on the table leg. She stumbled and table skidded six inches.

"Oh, no, Tonks, don't trouble yourself," Molly said quickly. "You've had such a long shift today. You must be exhausted. I'll have this ready in no time."

Disappointed, Tonks sank back into her chair. Molly flicked her wand, and knives automatically began chopping vegetables for stew.

"Well, I think I'm the last to introduce myself," the shabby man sighed, extending a hand to Audrey. "Remus Lupin." Behind them, still hovering by the sealed door, Moody huffed impatiently. Remus shook his head. "I think that's our cue to get into it. What has Dumbledore told you?"

"Not much," Natalia shrugged. "He mentioned the Order of the Phoenix and fighting against You-Know-Who."

"Well, that's the crux of it, eh, Moony?" Sirius said with his bark of a laugh.

"In a manner of speaking," Remus said. "We're a bit more organized than some vague idea of a fight against Voldemort, of course."

"Glad to hear that," Audrey couldn't stop herself from muttering sarcastically. Sirius met her gaze with a grin.

"But the real question is where the two of you fall into it," Moody said. His magical eye spun from the door to Audrey who was unsettled. "Dumbledore seems eager to have you on board so he must have something planned."

"The more the merrier, Mad-Eye," Tonks said cheerfully. "We're always looking for recruits."

"Laurie, what's your story? What do you do?" Moody barked.

"I'm a potioneer," Natalia said, caught off guard. "I've been working for Blotter and Haversham for five years now in Southwark."

Moody nodded approvingly and turned to Audrey. "What about you, Callahan?"

"I was a healer," Audrey began awkwardly, "but I've been living as a Muggle nurse in Little Whinging for the last four years."

"A Muggle?" Tonks seemed perplexed. "Why would you want to live without magic?"

Audrey had hoped no one would question it but she had a response rehearsed and she tried to sound casual. "My mother was sick, so I went home. After she died, I just sort of settled there."

Moody's magical eye quivered in its socket as it bore into her, but he seemed to accept her answer. "It could be useful to have ears in the Muggle community."

Even more noticeable and unbearable was Sirius's stare from across the table. Audrey wasn't sure why but she was ashamed at the thought of Sirius discovering that she had been hiding for fear of what they were preparing to fight against at that moment. She averted her eyes to the dark wooden table, which was nearly stony with age.

"So what exactly is it that the Order does?" Natalia asked.

"A lot, actually," Remus said. "We've got sensors out to hear anything about Voldemort's whereabouts. Alastor and Tonks along with Kingsley and Arthur, both working at the moment, are in the Ministry, which is enormously useful."

"The Ministry?" Natalia turned to Tonks, impressed.

"I'm an Auror," Tonks responded proudly.

"Oh, wow, that's amazing! Congratulations!" Audrey reveled. She felt a glowing respect for her old school friend for achieving such an honorable position.

"Ladies, if we can get on with it?" Moody growled.

"We've got others working on cross-species recruitment to try to counter Voldemort's efforts. That seems to be his prerogative at the moment. Bill's speaking with goblins since he works for Gringotts." Audrey beamed at Bill, happy for another respectable Hogwarts alumnus. Remus paused, as if he debated continuing, but then he said, "And I'm with the werewolves."

"Werewolves?" Audrey's stomach turned. She'd never heard of a werewolf willing to fight dark magic before. It seemed like a treacherous errand for a wizard, unless…

"Oh!" Audrey exhaled sharply as she took in Remus's shabby appearance, his graying hair, his prematurely lined face, and his general sense of exhaustion. Upon closer inspection, he was in his mid-30s, but he could easily pass for 45 years old. She could only imagine the struggles this man endured in his lifetime and resisted the urge to put a comforting hand over his. She only just met him after all and she didn't know the appropriate reaction upon learning someone was a werewolf. She never met one before. She made eye contact with Sirius again and noticed he seemed defensive, as if he were daring them to criticize Remus's condition.

"That seems extremely dangerous," Natalia said. She hadn't reached the same conclusion as Audrey yet.

"It would be were I not already afflicted," Remus said patiently. Natalia's eyes widened. There was the realization Audrey was waiting for.

They were quiet for a moment, and then Natalia spoke up. "Are the others as nice as you?"

Remus gave a short laugh. "I'm not sure 'nice' is the operative word. They've certainly got a lot of bitterness, which is expected."

"And Voldemort will use that to sway them to his side," Moody broke in. "And you've read the Prophet, so you know the Ministry is trying to avoid a mass panic. It's only making the situation worse. If you discredit Dumbledore, you discredit the only man Voldemort ever feared."

"It's diabolical," Tonks said, "but we've got a spy of our own on the inside so we can stay one jump ahead."

"Someone is spying on You-Know-Who?" Audrey was shocked. If walking with werewolves was dangerous, spying at Voldemort's side was downright lunacy.

"We're much better prepared than we were fifteen years ago," Remus said, nodding.

"But we also know that Voldemort wants to be more prepared, too," Sirius added. "He's looking for a kind of weapon he didn't have before."

"What do you mean?" Natalia asked. She looked about as anxious as Audrey felt. The members of the Order were incredibly brave. They threw You-Know-Who's name around in such a casual tone. She hoped she wouldn't disappoint them.

Sirius opened his mouth to elaborate, but the kitchen door clicked open at that moment. A tall, balding red-haired man entered the room, shaking his head.

"Good move, using the Imperturbable Charm," he said. "I just caught Fred hovering suspiciously in the hall."

"Arthur, you're home early," Molly said throwing her arms around her husband. "Everything alright at the Ministry?"

"Nothing unusual to report," Arthur said with a heavy sigh. "Though Barnabas Valentine was caught selling shrinking pants. You'd think the fine we gave him for the vanishing socks would be enough to sway him away from such pursuits. Oh, you must be Audrey Callahan and Natalia Laurie. Got an owl from Dumbledore not long ago. And he also told me what you've been up to, Sirius. I thought we discussed this. Dumbledore told you it's dangerous for you to leave this house."

Sirius frowned. "I know what Dumbledore told me."

"You're much more useful here than locked up in Azkaban. And Voldemort will know your clever canine disguise by now with Peter Pettigrew at his side. It's not safe by any means. I'm sure with Dumbledore's additional warning it won't happen again?"

Sirius leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs. He did not respond, but his sour expression provided enough of an answer. Audrey's mouth fell open not for the first time that night. Sirius wasn't even supposed to be in Little Whinging? She tried to push away the idea that there was greater danger than dementors in her neighborhood that evening.

Remus noticed Audrey's reaction. "The Order planned to gather Harry from Privet Drive in a few days' time when the situation had cooled down. Sirius, well, jumped the gun."

"Harry couldn't stay in that hellhole for another moment," Sirius argued. Then he nodded toward Audrey. "No offense."

"None taken." Audrey knew what her neighbors were like.

"He was upset, confused, traumatized—and you just wanted to leave him on his own," Sirius continued.

"Dumbledore thought it would be best," Tonks reasoned.

"And you were recognized, weren't you?" Molly scolded. "You're very lucky it was by these lovely girls and not a Death Eater. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that it was my duty to be there for my godson when he needed me."

"You're not the only one who cares for Harry," Molly said, her cheeks reddening. "Did you think it would be an excuse for an adventure, a good romp on the town?"

"That's enough," Remus told both of them. He motioned to the open door where Harry stood, suddenly bashful that he was noticed overhearing the conversation. Sirius and Molly ceased arguing at once. Audrey felt incredibly awkward. She only just met this group of people yet she learned a great deal of their personal lives all at once. Natalia seemed to share her sentiments.

"Well, it's getting rather late, isn't it?" She gave Audrey a meaningful look that meant they ought to leave.

"Yes, I'll get dinner on the table then," Molly said, returning instantly to her usual warm self. There was an insistence in her voice that told them they weren't going anywhere. "Fred, George, and Ginny, will you help me get the table ready?"

Three of the four red-haired children behind Harry moved to help their mother. The last Weasley boy, tall, red-haired, and looking remarkably like his father, sat at the table with Harry and a bushy haired girl. These must be Harry's friends, Ron and Hermione.

Audrey's mind was reeling. She examined the people around her: infamous murderer Sirius Black, a werewolf, two long lost schoolmates, a one-eyed mad Auror, a kindly red-haired couple, and a gangly group of teenagers, among them, Harry Potter. She noticed Natalia giving her an incredulous look but she refused to acknowledge the absolute bizarreness of the night. Every time she remarked on their strange circumstances, they only got stranger, and she wasn't sure how much more magical weirdness she could handle. Based on their current situation, Audrey knew this would at least be one of the most interesting nights of her life.


	5. Chapter 5: Hey Tonight

Audrey hadn't been in the company of so many witches and wizards in years. She forgot how much fun people could be when magic was added into the equation. The Weasley twins, Fred and George, recently turned seventeen and could use magic outside of school. They relished the opportunity to pull out their wands as much as possible, nearly sending a knife flying into Sirius's hand as they overzealously levitated cutlery onto the table. Their mother was furious, but the rest of the table erupted into laughter. Molly's soup had a supreme flavor that only love and magic combined could produce. And Tonks revived her old party gag and contorted her face into a cat's whiskers, a turkey with a gobble, and even the infamous hooked nose of Severus Snape, Hogwarts's potions master.

"Merlin's beard," Natalia said, wiping her eyes when the laughter finally died down, "I haven't thought about Snape in ages. He told me I was no good in Potions. Almost didn't let me into his N.E.W.T.s class. If he could only see me now."

"He's part of the Order, you know," Bill told her. "You can talk to him about Potions class from six years ago at our next meeting."

"Severus Snape?" Audrey said. "Slimy professor at Hogwarts? He's actually in the Order?"

"Dumbledore trusts him," Sirius said coolly, though a small smile played at his mouth. He stood sharply. "Anyone fancy a glass of wine?"

Natalia caught Audrey's eye and beamed. A golden cloud of cheer seemed to settle as everyone reveled in each other's company. Natalia found her way across the table to perch beside Tonks as she told an enthralling story about one of her missions as an Auror. Arthur hurriedly took her place and roped Audrey into a lengthy conversation about Muggle hospitals and surgeries. Audrey thought he was going to faint in excitement as she described how anesthetics worked. He left rather regrettably to intervene between two of his children: George had his wand brandished toward Ron and wore a mischievous smile that drew Arthur's suspicion. Audrey then turned to listen to Natalia, Tonks, and Bill's discussion. She noticed Sirius speaking in low tones with Harry by the door while Molly shot them sharp looks from her end of the table.

"She's on holiday back home in France for the next two weeks," Bill said. "But since I've transferred back to London to help in the Order, we'll see each other often at work, and after hours, of course."

"Well, Fleur seems like a lovely girl," Natalia said.

"Are you seeing anyone, then, Natalia?" Tonks asked.

"Why, no, I'm tragically single at the moment," Natalia responded, giving her a coy smile.

"What happened to the mystery woman from the Ministry?" Audrey couldn't resist goading her friend.

"From the Ministry?" Tonks repeated, eyes widening. "What's her name? Do I know her?"

Natalia glared at Audrey, who bit her lip to keep from laughing.

"Oh, come off it," Natalia said. "I told you it's nothing serious."

"Somebody call my name?"

Sirius slid into the empty seat beside Audrey. Harry had been dragged away by Molly to wash dishes, but Audrey could see he spoke urgently with Ron and Hermione as he worked.

"That old joke again," Remus mused, pulling himself away from his conversation with Moody. "Just because you've got a fresh audience doesn't make you any funnier."

"You're just in time for the hot gossip," Tonks laughed. "Apparently Natalia may or may not be dating a mystery Ministry woman, and we were just getting to Audrey here. Spill, Callahan."

"I have a boyfriend, yes," Audrey admitted.

"He's a Muggle," Natalia added, eager to return the favor and harp on Audrey's love life. "A gas worker, deals with the mechanics of Muggle heating and whatnot. Dreadfully boring fellow."

"Paul's not boring," Audrey said defensively. She thought of the way Paul threw his head back when he laughed, the sound reverberating from somewhere deep in his chest, and how contagious it was. He always seemed to make the most mundane things invigorating. Natalia was being unfair.

"Muggle heating, you say?" Arthur looked around keenly. "Can he fix a boiler? Does he know anything about electricity?"

Before Audrey could answer, Tonks piped up, "Does he know you're a witch?"

"No, of course not," Audrey said. "We've only been seeing each other for a few months."

"Excellent," Moody said approvingly. "Uphold the International Statute of Secrecy. Can't be too careful with Muggles."

"Where's the lucky lad tonight?" Bill asked.

"Probably asleep by now." Audrey glanced at her watch. It was nearly eleven.

"What did I tell you?" Natalia gloated to Tonks. "Boring."

"But he must be handsome," Ginny gushed from the other end of the table, "to win a pretty girl like you."

"Ginny, hush!" Molly scolded her daughter. "I'm sure he is."

"But a Muggle," Fred interjected. "Blimey, what do you talk about?"

"There are other things to do besides talk, eh?" Natalia said devilishly.

"Nat, you're terrible!" Audrey said, forcing a smile. She was embarrassed at the overwhelming curiosity she attracted, as everyone had ceased their separate discussions to listen, and Natalia had taken it one step too far. She was comfortable with this group, but they only just met that evening. No need to delve into her sex life, especially with a bunch of teenagers listening. But despite the heat she felt rush to her cheeks, she smiled. She was too old to lose her composure over a bit of teasing. And Paul was not something she was ashamed of. Tonks seemed to notice Audrey's discomfort because she turned her attention to Natalia.

"But darling, we have yet to learn the identity of your mystery woman," she said.

Natalia must have felt guilty about her last remark because she finally obliged. As she launched into a thrilling tale that started with intense eye contact at the Leaky Cauldron, Audrey stole a look at Sirius beside her. He had been strangely silent for the last few moments. He sat tensely, staring down at the table, and he took a long gulp of wine.

A burst of laughter brought Audrey's attention back to Natalia's story. She instantly regretted not paying attention because she was quite invested in her best friend's life and had been waiting all night to hear details about her recent romance. Apparently, it was a good story.

"So after all that, she still wants to meet me back at the Leaky Cauldron next week," Natalia said. She was a gifted storyteller and glowed under the eyes of her rapt audience. She turned her gaze to Tonks intently. "But I don't think I will."

Beside her, Audrey noticed Remus shift uncomfortably. Audrey wondered if he was uncomfortable with Natalia's sexuality but then doubted it quickly. He dealt with discrimination regularly as a werewolf, and it seemed unlikely that he would hold prejudices against anyone else. Perhaps Natalia's crude sense of humor rubbed him the wrong way. However, what Audrey saw as obvious flirting toward Tonks did not seem to be noticed by the intended receiver.

"Why not?" Tonks said. "She's got a wicked sense of humor at least. It'd be worth seeing her one more time, wouldn't it?"

Natalia frowned, rebuffed. At that moment, Molly yawned.

"Gracious, it's late," she said. "I think it's time we went up to bed."

Remarkably obediently, the younger generation stood and headed for the door. Audrey suspected the fact that they were allowed a glass of wine each had something to do with their agreeable sleepiness.

"Lovely meeting you," Hermione said politely as they exited to the stairs.

"I'm off then," Moody said, standing gruffly and limping to the door. "See you at the next meeting."

"When will that be?" Natalia asked.

"We'll be in contact," he responded. And with that he marched into the hall.

"I've got one more room available if you wanted to spend the night here," Sirius said, lifting his eyes to Audrey.

"I've seen how many glasses of wine you had, Audrey," Natalia teased. "You're not fit to drive home. Looks like we'll have to stay."

Audrey rolled her eyes. "Even a Muggle can get home without driving."

Tonks stifled a yawn. "I've got to get going. Early shift in the morning. I appreciate the offer though."

Natalia looked disappointed and was suddenly more willing to leave. She eyed the rest of the group. "Are you all going home?"

"Well, I'm living here with Sirius at the moment," Remus replied.

"Arthur and I are staying with the Hogwarts kids until they go off to school," Molly added. "It's safest for Harry."

"I'm leaving though," Bill said. "I also have work in the morning."

"We'll walk out with you," Audrey told him.

"You have the day off tomorrow," Natalia reminded Audrey, but she stood up with the rest of them as they got ready to leave.

"It's been an eventful night," Audrey turned to Sirius. "We'll see each other again soon, I'm sure."

Sirius nodded and then leaned back in his chair, balancing on its back legs in the same distracted way he'd done at the mention of Dumbledore's warning not to leave Grimmauld Place.

After a warm goodbye, the four former classmates found themselves in the dark summer night air beneath classic-styled street lamps.

"You remember how to Apparate, don't you?" Natalia chuckled.

"Yes, but I have to admit, I didn't miss it all that much," Audrey said. Appearing in any location at whim was convenient, but the suffocating, tight sensation of the act was off-putting. Audrey didn't mind the extra time it took to drive places in her car, especially with good music on the radio.

"Are you sending your car ahead of us?" Natalia nodded at the Volkswagen across the street.

"Naturally," Audrey said. She pulled out her wand.

"Sweet ride," Bill said, peering at the old car.

"That's a bit generous, but thanks, Bill," Audrey laughed. She waved her wand, and the car vanished. It would be parked in her driveway when she and Natalia reached Magnolia Road.

"Merlin's beard, I love seeing you do magic again," Natalia gushed.

"Well, it's late," Audrey said. "There's no Muggles around to see us, are there?"

Audrey felt a strange twinge. Her wand felt natural in her hand, and she certainly felt more comfortable having it with her. She was looking forward to doing some good in the world too with the Order. Isn't that why she became a healer, and then a nurse? But she had a reason to hide among the Muggles. She saw things she wasn't supposed to four years ago when Quirinus Quirrell checked into St. Mungo's. She came face to face with You-Know-Who—she was sure of it. And she knew that he knew she did. But hell, with You-Know-Who returned and in the flesh, the Muggle world wasn't safe. Who was she fooling? She was ready to fight, though fear still thrashed in her stomach.

Bill and Tonks said their goodbyes and disappeared with a loud crack. Natalia gave Audrey a sheepish smile.

"I went a bit too far tonight, didn't I?" she said.

"You usually do when you're trying to impress someone," Audrey sighed.

"Tonks grew up nicely," Natalia observed. "And what were you playing at bringing up other women?"

"I don't think she was catching your hints anyway."

"Ah, but she's only had one evening's worth my famed charm. I'm just getting started."

"The poor thing doesn't know what's coming," Audrey said with a laugh. "Well, let's go then. I'll do it. Take my arm, Nat."

"I know it's been awhile for you. You better not splinch me."

Audrey turned on the spot and suddenly felt like she was being dragged through a narrow pipe. Natalia's grip tightened on her arm. Then their feet hit solid ground, and Audrey recognized the familiar rows of neat houses on Magnolia Road.

"Do I still have both eyebrows?" Natalia said with a grin.

"Oh, come off it!"

The two women laughed as they strolled up Audrey's driveway, but then Audrey's smile faded. Staring at them incredulously from her doorstep stood a tall man with cropped auburn hair and bright blue eyes.

"Where did you come from?" Paul asked blinking at the spot where Audrey and Natalia Apparated seconds before.


	6. Chapter 6: Something

Audrey replaced her faltering smile. "Hey, babe, what are you doing here?"

"You just appeared out of nowhere," Paul stammered.

"We've been for a walk." Audrey put on her strongest air of normalcy. It had been a long evening, and she wasn't sure she could handle another bomb on her life—like Paul discovering she was a witch. "Is everything all right?"

"First your car," Paul turned to Audrey's car in the driveway. "It wasn't there. I was going to leave, but then I looked again and it was there. So I knocked on your door. There was no answer, and then…"

He trailed off still blinking perplexedly. He was waiting for an explanation that Audrey was not prepared to provide.

"Look, it's pretty late," Audrey said. "Why don't you come inside? Believe it or not, we haven't cracked open the wine yet."

"No, I should go." Audrey had never seen Paul so downtrodden. "I just came by to check on you. I heard a rumor there was a bear spotted in Little Whinging tonight."

"A bear?" Audrey didn't have to feign surprise. It seemed Sirius attracted more attention than he thought. "I didn't know there were bears anywhere nearby. We haven't seen anything, have we, Nat?"

"No, it's been a quiet night," Natalia said, pursing her lips at the irony of that statement.

"Right," Paul said, still looking bewildered. "Well, I'll go home then. Good to see you, Natalia."

He gave Audrey a quick peck on the cheek and walked to his car. Audrey watched him drive off and felt guilt settle heavily through her body. Paul was the most patient man she knew, and she hated how distraught he was after witnessing her unexplainable Apparition. He always valued her honesty, and open communication was a major component of their relationship. She felt unworthy and vile hiding her magic from him, but this wasn't how she would want him to find out—if she wanted him to find out at all.

Audrey shivered, and a sudden image of dementors in the back of her mind caused her to rush into her house. "Let's get inside."

She strode into the kitchen with Natalia at her heels and leaned against the counter wearily.

"You okay, dear?" Natalia asked. She always sounded like her mother when she tried to be sympathetic. It usually lightened Audrey's mood because it would horrify Natalia that she was anything like her mother, but this was an extraordinary night.

"Did you see his face?" Audrey moaned. "I feel like a monster lying to him like this."

"It's for his own good, really."

"What a night, Nat," Audrey put her hand to her head. "I think I'll open that wine now."

"I was beginning to think you never would," Natalia smirked.

Audrey reached for glasses in her cabinet, but Natalia stopped her.

"No, let me."

Audrey gave her a grateful smile and moved to the living room. It was mechanical, a routine they did most nights they hung out at her house. She flicked through her vinyl collection on the shelf, finally stopping on The Beatles' "Abbey Road." She needed something familiar tonight, and as she placed the needle on the spinning record and the first notes of "Come Together" played, she began to relax. She reignited the fireplace without magic.

Natalia emerged from the kitchen moments later with two generous glasses of red wine in hand. She handed one to Audrey, and they settled on the couch where only hours before Sirius had lain unconscious. Audrey looked at her friend who seemed lost in thought. This was the night she wanted, the two of them speaking easily over alcohol. She wished she could recall some bizarre event at the hospital she could vent about like she normally would, but her shift that day seemed like a lifetime ago. They sipped quietly from their glasses, each absorbed in their own recollections of the night but glad they weren't alone. Audrey usually had to beg Natalia to spend the night in her guest room, but she knew that on this night, the fact that Natalia was staying until the morning was assumed.

"So welcome back to the Wizarding world," Natalia said finally.

"And what a welcome it's been," Audrey mused.

"I can't believe we met Harry Potter."

"I can't believe he's been my neighbor all this time."

"You literally hit Sirius Black with your car, picked up his godson—your neighbor—Harry Potter, and then drove them both to his house in London, where Albus Dumbledore invited us to join his secret organization to fight You-Know-Who."

"When you say it like that, even I don't believe you and I was there." The two girls burst into laughter, the ridiculousness of the night catching up to them.

Suddenly, Natalia yelped and leaped a foot into the air, spilling wine onto the white couch. She pointed at the fireplace, and Audrey turned to see Sirius's head among the flames, his dark hair framing his grinning face.

"Sorry to interrupt," Sirius said. "Hope I didn't give you too much of a fright."

"Sirius, what are you doing?" Audrey exclaimed. "I could have had Muggles here! You would have been seen!"

Sirius frowned. "It's midnight, and you just left my house. So unless your boyfriend is calling on you at this hour, we should be in the clear."

Audrey and Natalia exchanged looks. Audrey's eyebrows furrowed, and she tried to erase the idea that Paul was, in fact, very close to being present for this moment. "Is everything alright?"

"Just a quick thing, and then I'll leave you alone," Sirius said. "You still have my wand. I trust I'm allowed to have it back now?"

Natalia gasped and withdrew Sirius's wand from beneath her scarves. "I'm sorry, I forgot I had it!"

"No harm done, but I'll take it now."

"I'll just place it in your mouth then, will I?"

"If you would, thanks, but first, what song is this?"

The music had shifted from the bass-heavy "Come Together" to the passionate ballad "Something." George Harrison's voice crooned from the corner stereo.

"'Something' by the Muggle band, The Beatles," Audrey told him.

"You don't know what the song is called?" Natalia raised an eyebrow.

"No, that's the title of the song, 'Something,'" Audrey explained.

Natalia snorted and knelt by the fire, holding the wand out to Sirius. Sirius didn't move but paused, listening for a moment.

"Hm, that's lovely," he said finally. He gave a start when he noticed the wand beside his face. "Oh, yes, thank you."

He took the wand between his teeth and winked. "Grand meeting you. I'm off."

His head disappeared in the roaring flames. Natalia shook her head, still looking into the fireplace.

"He's a bit odd, isn't he?"

"After twelve years in Azkaban, it's a miracle he's not barking mad," Audrey said. She couldn't imagine stepping foot inside the notorious wizard prison, let alone remaining there for an extended period of time for a crime she didn't commit.

"He never said what happened that day," Natalia said in a low voice, rejoining Audrey on the couch. She waved her wand absently and the wine spillage vanished. "Maybe he didn't kill those people, but they're dead, aren't they? Someone did it."

"They said he was laughing as they dragged him away," Audrey said. She imagined Sirius's bark-like laugh and couldn't seem to place it with the scene of destruction she read about. "Laughing at murder. I don't get it. I don't get him. Who does that?"

"But that's what the Prophet wrote, isn't it? We know the paper's capable of printing rubbish now."

Audrey didn't answer. Instead she pictured Sirius's crazed mugshot, his face contorted with manic rage. It hardly resembled the face she just saw in the fire, yet a photograph doesn't lie. There was a dark side to Sirius he hadn't revealed this night, and Audrey hoped she never had to meet the Sirius Black in that photograph.

Natalia drained her glass and blinked slowly. She sighed and stood. "I think I'll turn in. Surprised it's me heading to bed first. I'm not the one who had a ten-hour shift today."

"Trust me, I'm right behind you," Audrey assured her. "You know which room is yours."

Audrey heard Natalia climb the stairs and shut the door to the guest room but remained on the couch. Leaping back into the Wizarding world was a huge decision, yet she fell back into it easily, like an old pair of gloves on the first wintery day of the season. When she left to join the Muggle world, she deliberated for weeks, only coming to terms with her choice when her mother fell ill. A sense of unease left a bitter taste in her mouth, just as it did several years ago. Did she make the right decision? Last time, the only person she left behind was Natalia, yet that link was never truly severed. What would she tell Paul? The truth wasn't an option, but the idea of lying to him made her queasy. Finally, Audrey figured that was a problem for another night. She finished her wine and stood. The tipsiness settled as she changed heights, and Audrey couldn't help chuckling to herself as she teetered on her feet. Alcohol can be quite charming, she thought to herself as she made her way to her bedroom.

The next morning, Audrey descended into the kitchen to find Natalia eating cornflakes.

"Why do you always get boring cereal?" Natalia whined.

"We can't all handle the sugar of Cookie Crisp so early in the day," Audrey responded groggily.

Audrey filled her coffeemaker and set it to brew. She stared out of the window. The sky was overcast, but the clouds were light, looking like they weren't carrying rain. Suddenly, the distinct feeling of magic brushed past her and she jolted. The spell hit the coffeemaker which fizzled and then released its coffee more quickly.

"What did you do that for?" Audrey rounded on Natalia who hastily stowed her wand. "You know magic messes with Muggle electronics! That's a new CoffeeMate!"

"I hoped you wouldn't notice," Natalia said. "You look like you need that coffee sooner rather than later."

The stress of the previous day meant a restless night for Audrey. She hadn't slept so poorly in months, but she was used to odd sleeping patterns as a nurse. Her coping mechanism became coffee. A minute later, the pot was ready.

"Cheers," Audrey said, pouring the coffee in a mug and sipping. She learned to take it black. Too often she didn't have time to put milk or sugar in her cup during downtime at the hospital so she embraced the drink's natural bitterness.

Audrey jumped again as something tapped on the kitchen window. A large brown owl blinked at her from beyond the pane. It had a scroll tied to its leg.

"Nat, look!" Audrey scurried to open the window and collect the owl. It hooted merrily as she unfurled the slip of parchment and read:

Audrey and Natalia,

Meeting Saturday at 8 p.m. Same place.

Kind regards,

Albus Dumbledore

"How did he know you would be here?" Audrey said, looking up at her friend.

"I just assume Dumbledore knows everything," Natalia shrugged.

"Oh, no," Audrey said, slapping her forehead, "I'm working at the hospital Saturday night."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll call Betty. She's usually free. Maybe she'll switch shifts with me. But that means I'll work a double tomorrow."

"Merlin's beard, Audrey, you work too much." Natalia shook her head and returned to her cornflakes.

Audrey released the owl out of the window and then picked up her phone to dial Betty, who begrudgingly agreed to switch shifts. Saturday night was one of the most unpopular shifts among the nurses. When she hung up, Natalia was beaming at her.

"What are you so happy about?" Audrey asked suspiciously.

"Let's go shopping," Natalia said.

"Don't you have to get to work?"

"Not until this afternoon."

Audrey returned the smile. "Fine."

"But you'll have to break out your robes because we're going to Diagon Alley."


	7. Chapter 7: Ironic

Audrey knelt in front of the cupboard under the stairs, rummaging in her trunk of magical items. She pulled out several of her old robes, and Natalia tutted in disapproval. Evidently, wizard fashion had evolved since the last time Audrey wore it, but she selected sky blue robes and went upstairs to change.

Audrey's bedroom was the smallest in the house. The guestroom was really the master bedroom, but Audrey couldn't bear to move into it after her mother died. She remained in the room of her childhood, which consisted of a large bed, a wardrobe, and several posters of Muggle rock bands. After she pulled the robes over her head, she examined herself in her full-length mirror. This was her favorite outfit years ago because the blue matched her eyes. Now she felt as silly as she had when she was eleven and trying on Hogwarts robes for the first time. It contrasted so distinctly with the Muggle styles she was used to.

When Audrey went downstairs, she saw Natalia paired her usual scarves with sleek maroon robes. Natalia surveyed her over her glasses.

"Not as bad as I thought, but our first stop should definitely be Madam Malkin's."

"No, Gringotts first," Audrey corrected. "I've got to exchange this Muggle money."

"As you wish, m'lady." Natalia bowed. "We can Apparate now that you're on board with magic again, right?"

"Naturally," Audrey said.

Natalia held her arm out to Audrey with a grin. "Well, then allow me."

Audrey grabbed onto Natalia's sleeve and immediately felt the suffocating, sliding sensation of Apparition. She blinked and found herself no longer in her landing but on the bustling street of Diagon Alley. In front of them stood Gringotts Wizarding Bank, massive and made from white marble.

"I wonder if we'll see Bill," Natalia said as they climbed the steps to the building.

"I doubt it," Audrey responded. She was still having a hard time grasping the idea that she was borderline friends with Bill "Head Boy" Weasley. "I've only ever seen goblins working the desks."

Sure enough, as they passed through the double doors and into the wide bank lobby, short goblins with long fingers and sharp teeth peered at them over their high desks. There were no human employees in sight. Audrey approached the nearest goblin and did her transaction quickly. Goblins always looked at her with such distaste that she tried to spend as little time in Gringotts as possible. The grim anti-thieving message posted by the door was unsettling as well, though Audrey had no intention of venturing into a vault that wasn't hers. She was relieved when she and Natalia were outside, trekking toward Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. They entered the shop to see Madam Malkin fussing with a teenage boy with white-blond hair and his petite, equally blonde mother.

"He has to have grown six inches over the past year," the mother explained to Madam Malkin. Her voice was lofty, and her nose seemed to be permanently in the air.

"No matter, I can whip up new robes for Hogwarts in a jiffy," Madam Malkin said. She looked up at her new customers. "Can I help you women with anything?"

"We'll take a look at these styles over here, no rush," Natalia told her. She guided Audrey across the store to a wall of fabrics featuring every color and texture Audrey could imagine.

"Ooh, look at this, Nat!" She snatched a swatch of deep purple velvet. "Velvet is very vogue in the Muggle world."

Natalia laughed loudly, and Audrey saw the blonde woman snap her head in their direction.

"I think that's why Madam Malkin stocks it, to please Muggle-borns like you," Natalia said. "I've never seen anyone actually wear velvet robes."

"How about this?" Audrey bit her lip to stop from laughing as she held up a denim swatch. "Denim robes? I like denim for a pair of jeans, but this seems ridiculous."

Natalia cackled, and the woman gave a great sniff of disapproval.

"A man I work with came in wearing denim robes once. Thought he was ahead of the fashion curve, I reckon. Oh, we were roaring laughing at him. Hasn't worn anything remotely bold since. No, it's classic black cuts for old Daryl Shepps from now on."

"Is Daryl Shepps the one who set the cauldron fire last month?"

"That's your man," Natalia said. "Shame it didn't happen on the day he wore those robes. He'd have lost something better than his eyebrows, but I don't think anyone misses his dreadful goatee."

Natalia mimed the bizarre triangular shape of it at her chin, and Audrey couldn't restrain herself any longer, letting out a loud laugh. Natalia joined her. They hushed up quickly at the sound of Madam Malkin's sharp voice.

"Ladies, if you don't mind!"

Audrey and Natalia bowed their heads like repentant schoolchildren who just got scolded by their teacher. Satisfied, Madam Malkin continued her work on the boy's robes, but the boy sucked his teeth.

"Can't expect much more from a Muggle-born and her little friend," he sighed. It was impossible to miss the disgust in his voice.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Audrey was aghast. She almost thought she misheard the kid.

The boy turned to face her with a sneer. "I don't believe I was speaking to you, Mudblood."

"Language!" Madam Malkin put a hand over her chest in shock at the offensive word. She looked to his mother, expecting some kind of discipline at the boy's boldness, but the woman remained cool and impassive.

For a moment, Audrey thought Natalia was going to slap the kid. She marched across the store but then froze, glaring between the mother and her son.

"Apologize," Natalia demanded. "Now."

"I don't think I will." The boy's eyes danced with delight at the fury he inspired. "What are you going to do about it?"

Natalia's chest swelled with anger, and then the mother finally spoke.

"Come now, Draco, no need to waste energy with this pathetic pair."

Natalia glowered at her. "That's a fine way to raise your son, speaking like that."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "You dare criticize my parenting? Do you know who I am?"

"No, and I don't care to know," Natalia said. "You think you're better than us? See how far your old prejudices get you."

A bemused smile played at the woman's lips and then she addressed her son without taking her eyes off Natalia. "Come, Draco, it's time we took our business elsewhere. This place is infested with vermin."

With a smug look of triumph, Draco flung the half-finished robes over his head and marched to the door with his mother. Both had their noses in the air and refused to look back as they exited the shop.

"Well, I never!" Madam Malkin said, rushing to collect the robes from the ground. She panted with the excitement of the moment.

"Can you believe those people?" Natalia stared at the door, as if its wooden exterior had offended her and not the two snobs that left through it.

"You shouldn't have argued with them," Audrey said, though she was still shaken from the event.

"Too right," Madam Malkin added. "That woman was Narcissa Malfoy. Her husband, Lucius, has extensive ties with the Ministry. It doesn't bode well to get on her bad side."

"Does she have a good side?" Audrey said warily. She began to fear for Natalia's safety. A woman like Narcissa Malfoy wouldn't forget an affronting face, and her sentiments eerily echoed You-Know-Who's preaching. Perhaps she was being paranoid, but she couldn't forget the tone of her bratty son. His face contorted with hatred just looking at her, a Muggle-born. These were old-fashioned ideas that she thought were extinct after the fall of You-Know-Who. In fact, she'd never been called "Mudblood" to her face with such loathing behind it in her entire life. Seeing such passion from a young boy felt twisted and wrong, and Audrey felt ill thinking about it.

Natalia noticed Audrey's unease and softened. "Hey, want to get out of here? Let's head to Fortescue's and grab some ice cream."

Audrey nodded, though she doubted ice cream would undo the strange knot in her stomach. As they left, Madam Malkin seemed exasperated that she had no paying customers to show for the morning's drama.

At Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Natalia insisted on paying and ordered two cones, a chocolate one for Audrey and a raspberry one for herself. They sat at a table outside and ate quietly.

Natalia broke the silence. "Anywhere else you want to go today? How about the Magical Menagerie? You could get that cat you've always wanted."

Audrey let a smile cross her face. She'd wanted a cat since her Hogwarts days when their roommate, Nancy Channing, brought one to school with her during their third year. "I have enough trouble taking care of myself at the moment, let alone a pet."

Natalia threw her hands up in mock defense. "Thought I'd toss the idea out there. There's always next time."

"It's going to have to wait until next time," Audrey said, glancing at her watch. "It's half twelve already."

Natalia, who had just bit into her cone, gasped. Then she cringed as the ice cream gave her brain freeze.

"Put your thumb on the roof of your mouth," Audrey told her.

Natalia obeyed. Then she practically shoved the rest of her cone down her throat and stood quickly.

"Thanks for the heads up," Natalia said. "I've still got to stop at my flat before I head to work."

She stared at Audrey for a moment and then took her hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Don't let the prats get you down," she said with a small smile. Then she took off down the street.

"Don't forget to eat lunch today!" Audrey called after her. "Ice cream is not a meal!" She didn't know if Natalia heard her or not because she disappeared around a corner.

Audrey sighed and finished her ice cream. The clouds above her grew darker as the threat of rain loomed. Without Natalia, she was not enthusiastic about shopping, so she Apparated home, ensuring she landed in her living room rather than outside her house. She didn't want any repeats of the previous night with Paul witnessing her, or any of her Muggle neighbors for that matter.

Once comfortably surrounded by her beige walls, she grabbed her phone receiver and dialed Paul's office number. His distressed face from the last time she saw him kept flashing into her mind. She hoped his voice would alleviate some of her guilt.

Sure enough, her heart stuttered at the sound of his drawling voice on the other line. "Hello?"

"Hey, babe, it's me," Audrey sighed.

"Audrey, my love, enjoying your day off?" His mood was so chipper, as if the strange night had never happened.

"Of course," she smiled. "It would be better if you were here with me."

"Would if I could, love," he said. "But boilers don't fix themselves, you know."

"I actually wanted to let you know that I had to switch shifts with Betty, so I'm working a double tomorrow."

"Just your luck, right after your day off," Paul commented. "But does this mean you're out of your other shift? Are you finally free on a Saturday night?"

"Er, yes and no," Audrey said. "I'm not working, but Natalia's dragging me to a meeting in London that night."

"That's too bad because I can think of a lot of things we could do with a Saturday night," Paul crooned. Audrey bit her lip. She was relieved he didn't ask for more details about the meeting but she also hated that she wouldn't get to spend time with him.

"What's there to do on a Saturday night that you can't do in the middle of the day?" Audrey teased. Day or night, she was looking forward to having Paul's long arms around her.

"That day will have to be Sunday," Paul said somewhat regrettably. "I'm helping Andy move Saturday, remember?"

"Sunday it is," she said. "I'll be waiting for you, Mr. Clark."

As she hung up the phone, Audrey was reeling. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to be with such an understanding, wonderful guy. The added complications of her life that unfolded over the last 24 hours seemed to evaporate with the comforting tones of his voice. She worried about hiding her double life from him, but she looked forward to seeing him even more. Sunday seemed ages away, but Paul was worth the wait.


	8. Chapter 8: Box Of Rain

The following day flew by in a whirl of needles, tubes, and gauze. Audrey counted herself lucky that she didn't spend her double shift in the ER. She knew she couldn't maintain the energy needed to work in that chaos for so long. Instead, she worked in outpatient surgery prep, easing the nerves of patients before they went to the operating room for their procedures. While she was constantly busy with the sheer number of patients to help, it wasn't too taxing considering she worked for 18 straight hours. Audrey awoke on Saturday at 2 p.m., noting she had fallen asleep in her scrubs when she arrived home early that morning.

Audrey showered, washing away the weariness from the hospital in preparation for her new role as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. She still had no idea what to expect at the meeting that night so she willed herself to be enthusiastic and open for anything. She sincerely wanted to help, and Moody thought Dumbledore had a plan for her and Natalia. She couldn't ignore her apprehension at what this plan might entail.

Viewing herself in her towel in her bedroom mirror, Audrey noted how long her hair had become. Blond tresses hung near her elbows, and she cringed. It had been ages since she had a proper haircut. Boldly, she gathered her hair and grabbed her wand. With a swift spell, she cut her hair so that it brushed her shoulders. Her bangs, which had become overgrown, now swept to the side at her cheekbone. She grinned and dressed in jeans and an old T-shirt. The August heat struck again, and Audrey wasn't used to wearing full robes. Besides, she hadn't bought new ones yet. She was sure the Order wouldn't mind her Muggle attire.

Audrey descended to the kitchen and began cooking pasta. As the water boiled, she heard the click of the mail slot. On the mat, she saw a magazine was delivered. She retrieved it and flipped through it casually. A large photo of Jerry Garcia from the American rock band The Grateful Dead encompassed an entire page. Audrey gasped—the man was dead from a heart attack. He abused drugs in his lifetime as a rock and roll star of the 1970s, but his death was a shock all the same. Almost mechanically, Audrey went to her vinyl collection in the living room. She pulled out The Grateful Dead's "American Beauty" and played it. The first song, "Box of Rain," began with twanging guitars and melodic vocals. It was hippy music, and Audrey never considered herself a huge fan of the band. For some reason, she felt waves of nostalgia, though the album was released just before she was born. With a sigh, she returned to her pasta.

In what felt like no time, the sun set, and Audrey readied herself to depart for Grimmauld Place. She regretted not arranging with Natalia that they would show up together but shook away the thought quickly. She was a socially mature adult who could arrive places alone, wasn't she? With a nervous energy, she Disapparated and appeared where she parked her car several nights before outside of Sirius's house.

Audrey approached the ancient front door but then froze. Hurrying down the street was a small, dirty-looking man wearing a thick jacket. She wasn't sure how the Fidelius Charm worked exactly—would this man see her disappear down an alley? Would he try to follow her? This could be a major security breach for the Order, and she didn't want to make a major mistake before the first meeting. From the looks of the man's dusty robes, he was a wizard. Audrey had a feeling this made the situation worse. Finally, the man reached her, stopping beside her in front of number twelve. He noticed her hesitation and gave her a curious look.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Audrey," she said. She wasn't sure if she should be giving this man her name at all.

He glanced up at the house and lowered his voice. "Are you one of the new girls?"

Audrey felt relief flood through her body. "Yes, I am."

"Mundungus Fletcher," he said roughly, shaking her hand. "Shall we?"

Audrey followed him up the steps to the townhouse, and Mundungus knocked. Moody opened the door and, with a grunt, let them pass into the dimly lit hallway. Molly greeted them at the entrance to the kitchen.

"Audrey, dear, good to see you again," she said. Her smile became more strained as she turned to Mundungus. "And you, Mundungus. Please have a seat anywhere."

The long wooden table was nearly filled. At the head of table sat Dumbledore, who gave her a smile that crinkled his eyes. Sirius sat to his right, shooting her a nod and a smirk. On his other side was Severus Snape, the greasy-haired potions master at Hogwarts with the infamous hooked nose. He didn't even look at her as she came in, but Bill and Tonks waved. Moody regained his seat beside a middle-aged woman with pretty brown hair who Molly introduced as Emmeline Vance. Audrey was also introduced to a large man with gorgeous dark skin named Kingsley Shacklebolt; a black-haired, athletic woman named Hestia Jones; a short man with a tall hat perched precariously on his head named Dedalus Diggle; and a man who looked to be as old as Dumbledore named Elphias Doge. Natalia sat between Arthur and Remus and beckoned for her to sit across from her. Audrey did, and Mundungus slid in beside her. Molly took a seat at the table's other end, looking none too thrilled to be so close to Mundungus.

"I believe that's everyone who is able to join us tonight," Dumbledore said. When he spoke, all other chatter ceased. "For our first order of business, I'd like to welcome two new faces, Natalia Laurie and Audrey Callahan. Thank you for joining us."

Audrey and Natalia both nodded in acknowledgement, and Dumbledore continued. "Next, I have received an owl from Madame Maxime. It appears she and Hagrid are making their return from the mountains, but they have separated. She reports that they are safe. We should have a full report regarding the giants' stance in a few months, I expect."

Audrey tensed. Giants? She was glad that mission seemed nearly complete because while she wanted to help the Order, interacting with giants fell a bit too far out of her comfort zone.

"What is the news from the Ministry?" Dumbledore said, looking to Kingsley.

"Right now, I'm feeding evidence to our team that Sirius has been spotted in Bolivia," Kingsley said. He had a deep, soothing voice. "Fudge is as restless as ever. Still feeding the Prophet nonsense about you, sir, and about Harry Potter."

"When is Harry's trial?" Doge asked.

"Twelfth of August," Arthur responded. "I'll be escorting him."

"That's only in a few days," Doge said, surprised. He looked to Dumbledore. "I expect you'll be testifying, Albus?"

"Yes," he responded, "with Arabella Figg as witness."

Audrey's eyes widened. Mrs. Figg was a little old lady who lived in Little Whinging and owned countless cats. Was this woman a witch? Beyond that, was she part of the Order? Audrey couldn't believe her prissy neighborhood was such a magnet for magic.

"Is everyone comfortable with the guard schedule?" Kingsley continued. "Sturgis Podmore is on duty tonight. We'll be adding Natalia to the rotation starting next week."

"What will I be guarding?" Natalia said. She cast a glance at Audrey, noticing that Audrey wasn't chosen for the task as well.

"A prophecy," Moody said. "One of many filed away in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry. Voldemort desires it very strongly, and he must not obtain it. It holds the secret of the connection between him and Harry. You'll be trained, of course."

Natalia nodded curtly. Dumbledore turned to Snape.

"Any news on your end, Severus?"

Snape cleared his throat importantly. "The Dark Lord still seeks the prophecy, obviously, but he has no plan yet to retrieve it himself. He still wishes to remain out of the public eye, letting the Daily Prophet spin stories for him while he recruits Death Eaters and other creatures alike. I can tell you for certain that Hagrid and Madame Maxime were not alone in the mountains with the giants."

Audrey had to clench her jaw to keep it from falling open in disbelief. Snape was the spy with You-Know-Who? Even from the other end of the table, Audrey could feel dodgy vibes radiating from the man. Could they be sure he wouldn't switch sides? Sirius said that Dumbledore trusted him, but she could see the frown lines on Sirius's face as he listened to Snape. It was clear Sirius thought otherwise.

"A possibility they were prepared for," Dumbledore nodded. "Thank you, Severus, as always.

"Now, Audrey, I have an offer for you." Dumbledore stared at Audrey along the table. "I know you're in a unique circumstance living with Muggles and I have the utmost respect for that. However, I have a vacancy in my staff that I'm hoping you can fill. Are you willing to accept a position as the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts?"

Everyone followed Dumbledore's gaze to look expectantly at Audrey. There was no stopping her mouth from dropping open this time. She had never considered teaching as a profession, and she only took Muggle Studies as an elective for three years while she was in school.

"Wow," Audrey finally said. "Sir, do you really think I'm qualified for that?"

"I think you'll provide wonderful insight into the Muggle world for our students," Dumbledore said calmly. "You come from a very diverse academic background and have plenty of real world experience. It would be an honor to have you on my staff."

"You'll be grand, Audrey," Natalia said, beaming. "You're great with kids."

Audrey fought a snort. She could handle young children—adolescents were another story. And this decision was more than just a job offer. She would have to leave her Muggle life permanently, living at Hogwarts for most of the year. What would she tell Paul?

Dumbledore must have sensed her agitation because he said, "You don't have to decide immediately. But I do have one more favor to ask of you. It may impact your decision."

Audrey swallowed. She had a feeling Dumbledore was about to suggest something equally as difficult to consider.

"I must ask you to no longer live in Little Whinging," he said.

"Why?" Audrey couldn't help asking. She had lived on Magnolia Road her entire life. Her father bought the house before she was born. Her mother died there. This was a lot to ask of her.

"Harry Potter must live with his aunt and uncle on Privet Drive," Dumbledore explained patiently. "It is the only place where he can be truly safe. Voldemort is aware of his residence. The neighborhood itself is dangerous, as the dementor attack has proven. If you are discovered, not just as a witch but as a member of the Order, the consequences would be deadly."

"But Mrs. Figg—" Audrey began.

"Arabella Figg is a Squib," Dumbledore told her. "She is not under any magical registry and blends well with the Muggles. You, on the other hand, should you accept my job offer, will be in a fairly public position in the Wizarding world. You will not have the same securities assured to Mrs. Figg."

Audrey pursed her lips. Dumbledore was right, as always, but it was going to hurt to uproot. She shivered at the idea of dementors roaming her street looking for her specifically. She didn't even want to consider the idea of Death Eaters searching for her.

"When?" She forced her voice not to waver.

"As soon as possible," Dumbledore said. "Tomorrow, if you can."

"You can stay with me in my flat," Natalia said. She stared at Audrey empathetically.

Audrey bit her lip. "On your couch?" Natalia's apartment was tiny. It had one bedroom and minimal furniture because the rooms were so tight.

"I have a spare room here," Sirius said, watching Audrey carefully. "If it's safe for me to stay here, it'll be safe for you, too."

Audrey hesitated, but feeling everyone's eyes upon her, she nodded. Dumbledore clapped his hands together.

"Excellent," he said. "I'll return to Grimmauld Place in two days. I hope to have your answer to my job offer by then. Now, Bill, how are the goblin negotiations?"

Bill launched into his update, and Audrey remained stone-faced, inclining her head to listen to him. Though she wanted to learn everything that was going on in the Order, it was difficult to concentrate. Natalia wasn't paying attention at all, instead watching Audrey with extreme intensity. She wished Tonks would speak to the group and distract her. Similarly, Sirius kept shooting her furtive glances, which Audrey avoided. She knew joining the Order would require sacrifices. She had to make peace with her life's new direction. But what would she tell Paul?

There was a sudden scraping of chairs, and Audrey realized the meeting was over. Snape darted out of the door without speaking to anyone, but the others hovered around the table, chatting. In the blink of an eye, Natalia appeared beside her.

"You okay, dear?" Natalia said. Audrey shrugged. Words seemed to escape her.

"It's not like you have to sell the place, see," Mundungus spoke up. "Just leave it sit for a while until this all blows over. What's the address on that, eh?"

Audrey didn't like the greedy look in his eye, and apparently neither did Molly because she interrupted quickly, "Will you all be staying for dinner?"

"That'd be great, Molly, thanks," Mundungus said. Molly's lips tightened. The invitation seemed to be extended to him only out of politeness, but Audrey and Natalia nodded.

"Yes, thank you," Audrey said weakly. She looked around for Dumbledore, but he had left. A moment later, the only remaining Order members were those who were present on Audrey's first visit to Grimmauld Place, in addition to Mundungus. They moved chairs to all be sitting at one end of the table.

"So Hogwarts," Tonks began eagerly, turning to Audrey. "Are you going to do it?"

"Well, I'm a healer, not a teacher," Audrey said. "And I'm not even that anymore. I'm a nurse."

"But you have real experience in the differences between the Muggle and Wizarding worlds," Bill said. "That's a unique perspective and should be really interesting."

"You've got the disposition for it," Tonks added. "You're very patient and easygoing."

"It's not that simple," Audrey said. "Moving house is one thing, but this would involve leaving everything behind."

Audrey found she couldn't elaborate more, as if her voice had vanished from her throat. Natalia took Audrey's hand in her own and squeezed.

"It's ultimately your decision," Remus said kindly. "The Order will continue either way. You've got time to decide."

Audrey didn't know what to say so she nodded. After a beat, Natalia looked up brightly, still holding Audrey's hand.

"So what's guard duty like?"

Audrey welcomed the change of subject and tried to listen with interest as Bill, Tonks, and Remus described the strange location of the Department of Mysteries. Audrey noticed that Ginny had wandered into the kitchen and was chatting with her mother by the stove. Arthur and Moody seemed to be holding a serious conversation by the door. She felt a little dizzy with so many people around. She locked eyes with Sirius.

"Where's your bathroom?"

"It's upstairs," he said. "Come on, I'll show you."

He stood solemnly, and Audrey followed him out of the kitchen.


	9. Chapter 9: Dazed And Confused

"Just up here," Sirius said, leading Audrey to a staircase at the end of the hall. She passed a portrait covered by curtains and then let out a gasp. Lining the wall to the next floor was a row of house-elf heads stuffed and mounted with names listed beneath them. Sirius smirked at her reaction.

"My family had a tasteful sense for décor," he said snidely.

"All these house-elves belonged to your family?" Audrey exclaimed as she saw the row stretched for at least fifteen meters. "They must have lived here for centuries!"

"They did," Sirius said. "I'm the last of the most ancient and noble house of Black."

Audrey didn't miss the bitterness in his voice so she laced her own with sarcasm. "Sorry to hear that."

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "My mother would be sorry, too, trust me."

Not wishing to push Sirius too far on what seemed to be a sensitive issue, Audrey changed the subject. "Do you have a house-elf now?"

"Yeah, Kreacher is around here somewhere," Sirius said. "You wouldn't want to meet him."

"Why not?"

"He's a horrible, crotchety bigot. Learned from the worst Purebloods in the country."

"Surely not the worst?"

"The worst." There was an edge in Sirius's voice, and Audrey thought it best not to respond.

At the top of the stairs, Sirius pointed down another hallway. "Last door on your left."

Audrey nodded and headed in that direction.

"Wait," Sirius said hesitantly. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess. Uprooting your life, leaving home, being cooped up here… you didn't ask for any of this."

Audrey was taken aback. "I chose to join the Order. I knew I'd have to make sacrifices."

"But it's too much to ask of you so soon. I mean, I put you in danger."

Outside of the crowded kitchen, Audrey felt less overwhelmed and exceedingly more rational about the situation. The combination of her change in mood and Sirius's concern amused her, and she gave him a small smile. "I'm Muggle-born. I was always in danger. I'm also an adult. This isn't my first life-changing decision, and it won't be my last."

"But—"

"Are trying to persuade me to leave the Order?" Audrey challenged with a smirk. "Or are you regretting inviting me to stay with you?"

Sirius looked bewildered. "No, I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it."

Audrey sighed. If she was being honest with herself, she was flattered that Sirius cared about her predicament.

"Thanks for looking out for me, Sirius," she said. "I'll see you downstairs."

Sirius blinked at her for a moment, then nodded and turned back to the stairs. Audrey moved down the hall and spotted Ron exiting the bathroom Sirius pointed to.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," he told her. At once, Ron's ears reddened, and his eyes opened wide as he realized his word choice. "Not because of me. Fred and George have been experimenting with their joke products in there. It's a bit like a minefield. Risky business, really."

"I appreciate the heads up," Audrey said with a raised eyebrow.

Ron hurried away, and Audrey locked herself into the bathroom. The floor and walls shone with black tiles, and an ornate mirror hung above the sink. Audrey stared into it, breathing steadily. Now that she was alone, she felt less tense. In fact, she felt the weight of the evening leave when she spoke with Sirius. Her panic evolved into strategizing. Living in London would be more convenient for work at the hospital, but explaining it to Paul would be another story. As for the opportunity to teach at Hogwarts, she was honored to be offered the position, but she had difficulty weighing the pros and cons. Dumbledore must have thought she would be valuable at Hogwarts, but did he think as someone who lived with Muggles for so long, she would not do well with the other Order members guarding the prophecy? She winced. She was out of practice in the magical world. Perhaps keeping one foot in the Muggle world was all that Audrey had to offer. Absently, she lathered her hands with soap and turned on the faucet. While she retained much of what she learned at Hogwarts and from Healer training, she had little combat experience. How could she be trusted to guard something so precious to the resistance and so pertinent to the safety of Harry Potter? She allowed water to pool in her cupped hands.

Suddenly she yelped. The water splashed back into the sink as she leaped backward. Her hands were covered in purple and green splotches. Then she sighed at her mistake. She must have stumbled across trick soap courtesy of Fred and George. She muttered a few charms, but the spots remained. Audrey was impressed—the boys really knew what they were doing. She resigned herself to returning to the kitchen with colorful hands.

The moment she reentered the room, she saw the kitchen was full again. The teens joined them and were gathering around the long table. When Natalia caught her eye, she shouted and slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"What happened to you?" Tonks said, bemused.

"The price of hygiene," Audrey said, holding up her hands.

"Warned you, didn't I?" Ron nodded.

"Ah, Fred, look at this!" George said excitedly. "Audrey's been using the Splotchy Suds."

"Those colors came out nicely," Fred remarked expertly.

"It's really good magic," Audrey told them, sincerely impressed.

Natalia grinned at the twins. "What other colors have you got?"

"Boys!" Molly said, fuming. "I thought I told you to put a stop to this Weasley Wizard Wheezes madness! What have you done to the poor girl?"

"Just an old prototype, Mum," Fred said.

"The colors fade in an hour or two," George added. "And they stain your skin, not your clothes."

"That's handy," Audrey said, raising her spotted hands in the air. From across the table, Sirius snorted.

Remus closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe you just said that."

Fred pointed to her with a wry smile. "I see what you did there, Audrey, and I'm a fan."

Audrey winked and moved toward the stove. "How can I help, Molly?"

Molly eyed Audrey's stained hands warily. "You set the table with Ginny, if you don't mind, dear."

Ginny beamed at her, her arms laden with plates, and Audrey gathered silverware. In the time it took for dinner to be ready, everyone had switched seats a dozen times, so that when Audrey settled in her chair with a plate of pot roast, she found herself between Ginny and Harry, with Sirius on Harry's other side, Molly beside Ginny, and Hermione across from her sandwiched between Ron and Natalia. Audrey was engaged in chatter with the women as Molly recalled a story from her days at Hogwarts, sneaking around the Black Lake with Arthur late at night. Ginny was appalled by the tale, dissolving in a fit of giggles, with Hermione joining in. Ron's ears turned pink, and he appeared supremely interested in Harry and Sirius's conversation, pretending not to hear his mother's scandalous story.

"How did you and Paul meet?" Ginny asked Audrey eagerly when her laughter subsided.

"Well, his brother was a patient of mine," Audrey began. "He dislocated his shoulder in a football accident, and Paul drove Andy to the emergency room." She smiled as she remembered the day. "Andy wasn't the easiest patient. He was nearly having a fit. Paul had to hold him down while I popped his shoulder back in place. Cursing up a storm, he was, but Paul was flirting right over his brother's moaning, saying we made such a good team, giving me all the lines. It was so bizarre that I actually gave him my number."

"Your what?" Ginny said. Phones were a uniquely Muggle form of communication.

"My telephone number so he could call me," Audrey explained. "Asked me out for coffee the next day."

"Charming man," Natalia laughed. "Cares so much for his brother."

"I thought it was a lovely story," Hermione said. "Paul seems very romantic." Beside her, Ron sniffed and shifted uncomfortably.

A sudden roar of laughter from the other end of the table caught everyone's attention. Fred and George were in bits, banging their fists on the table, as Mundungus wiped his streaming eyes, trying to finish his story.

"Then I says to him, I says, shame that, but o' course I can help a chap out, no discount, mind. And the fella buys the lot off me, his own stock!"

Ron snickered but then assumed a stony face after a sharp look from his mother. Audrey heard Harry whisper doubtfully to Sirius.

"Why is Mundungus in the Order?"

"He's dodgy, to be sure, but he's loyal to Dumbledore," Sirius said. "Helped him out of a tricky spot years ago. Besides, we need someone like him on our side. Knows what's going on in the dirty underground, if you know what I mean."

Sirius caught Audrey's eye and winked.

"That's quite enough talk of your commerce, Mundungus," Molly said, frowning.

"Begging your pardon, Molly," Mundungus said, straightening up and reassembling his face seriously.

Satisfied with Mundungus's apology, Molly addressed the table genially. "Shall I bring out the custard?"

"I'll grab it, Molly," Tonks said, springing to her feet. "In the fridge, right?"

She crossed the kitchen and was halfway back to the table with the tray of custard in her arms when she tripped over her boots. The tray went zooming toward the floor, but Remus drew his wand. With a quick flick, he suspended the dessert in midair and levitated it safely to the center of the table. Tonks covered her face with her hands.

"I'm so sorry," she moaned. "I'm so clumsy. Thank you, Remus, if you weren't paying attention…"

"No harm done," Remus said, sitting and smiling warmly. Natalia shot a grin at Tonks, and Audrey couldn't help noticing the same affectionate shine glowing in both Natalia and Remus's eyes.

Tonks slumped into her seat as everyone helped themselves to the custard. Kindly, Bill began a discussion about the coming season's Quidditch league, which most people contributed to with eagerness. Even Tonks brightened as she bashed Ron's theory that the Chudley Cannons had a chance at the championship this year. Audrey had nothing to add as she didn't follow sports but she enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere.

Too soon, the hour drew late, and after the plates were cleared, it was time to part ways. Molly ushered the younger generation upstairs while the others began to exit the house a few at a time so as not to attract attention from the Muggle neighbors. Audrey pulled Sirius aside.

"Is tomorrow too soon for me to move in?"

"Of course not," Sirius said. "Dumbledore said the sooner the better."

"Perfect," Audrey smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow then. And, really, Sirius, thank you for this."

"Least I can do," he said. There was something sad in his voice, but Audrey didn't have time to think on it because Natalia appeared at her shoulder.

"Tomorrow?" she said, raising her eyebrows. "Have you got a plan about what to tell Paul?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Audrey mused. "Walk with me, darling. I'll fill you in."

She put her arm through Natalia's, gave Sirius a final wave, and headed into the night.

Twenty minutes later, Audrey Apparated into her living room. Natalia was unsurprisingly excited about the plan Audrey devised and had thrown around the word "genius" a few times. While Audrey was flattered by Natalia's enthusiasm, she couldn't help feeling a bit queasy. She would be lying to Paul; there was no way around it. It was far too soon to confess what she really was to him, and there was too little time to find the ideal way to phrase it even if she wanted to. Audrey went to the kitchen and fixed herself a brandy. She drank quickly and sighed, looking at her hands. Just as George predicted, the spots had nearly faded away. She decided not to waste time and grabbed her phone, dialing Paul's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Glad you're home," she said into the receiver.

"Surprised you are," Paul responded. "I thought Natalia would have you out until the early hours of the morning."

"I thought of something better I could do on a Saturday night," she smiled.

"I'm hoping that 'something' involves whipped cream and maraschino cherries."

"Kinky!" Audrey snorted. "I love it!"

"Get your mind out of the gutter, love," Paul said in feigned shock. "I was thinking of hot fudge sundaes."

Audrey grinned. "We can brainstorm more activities together, if you want to come over. I do need to talk to you about something, but there's no reason we can't have some fun."

Paul laughed deeply, and Audrey's heart danced. "I'll be there in ten."


	10. Chapter 10: Gimme Shelter

Audrey blinked as sunlight streamed through her blinds and onto her blankets. During the night, Paul's arms had fallen away from her, and he lay flat on his back beside her, snoring toward the ceiling. She smirked as his nose whistled loudly and she pinched it closed. For a moment, it was silent, but then Paul startled awake with a gasp.

"Lovely way to wake up in the morning," he groaned.

"It's worth it when you get to see this beautiful face," Audrey grinned.

"Hard to argue with that," Paul smiled and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. They lay like that for a moment as the sun grew brighter beyond the window.

"Will you grab us some breakfast rolls from town?" Audrey said finally.

Paul sighed. "Aw, why don't you get them?"

"I still have to pack because _somebody_ distracted me last night."

"I don't remember hearing you complain then."

Audrey bit her lip. "Please? I told Natalia I'd be at her place by one."

"Oh, alright," Paul said and he rolled out of bed. Audrey smiled at the moles on his back as he pulled on sweatpants. She was disappointed when he slipped his T-shirt over his head.

"You're a good friend, you know," he said, heading to the door. "Staying with Natalia like this."

Audrey shrugged. "She needs me. She so rarely falls for people, you know? She gets that much more wrecked when she gets her heart broken. She'll be back on her feet soon enough, and then I'll come home."

Paul nodded. "I'll be back in thirty."

Audrey waited until her front door slammed and then crept downstairs. From her cupboard, she removed her trunk of magical items and began sifting through its contents. Her wand was at the top; she had stowed it there before Paul arrived the night before. She pointed it at her bewitched radio. A burst of static echoed from its speaker, but when Audrey fiddled with the knob, a drawling song she didn't recognize played. She was looking forward to hearing what wizard radio stations played these days.

Audrey sorted through her spellbooks and was elated to find that, when she was done, the trunk had plenty of space left. Her clothes and personal belongings would fit in one piece of luggage with her magical equipment. She moved to the living room and longingly gazed at her record collection. There was no way her stereo was fitting into her trunk, and even if she used an Extension Charm, Paul would be suspicious that it was missing from the room. She grabbed her portable tape player and a few cassettes and tossed them in the trunk. Though Muggle technology didn't work at Hogwarts, Audrey vowed to fiddle with electronics just this once for the sake of music. Audrey shook her head: that is, _if_ she was going to Hogwarts. She still hadn't officially accepted Dumbledore's offer.

Audrey had just slammed her trunk closed when Paul returned with sandwiches. Audrey ate quickly out of relief that she finished packing in time, and when he finally caught up with her, Paul volunteered to carry the trunk to his car.

"My God, Audrey, this is heavy," Paul grunted. "What did you pack?"

Audrey laughed brightly and assumed his question was rhetorical. Outside, she patted her Volkswagen goodbye. She told Paul she wouldn't need it at Natalia's flat in London, and she definitely wouldn't need it in the Wizarding world.

Paul let Audrey flip through the radio as he drove into London. She settled on an oldies station and let the Rolling Stones welcome them to their hometown. Audrey navigated them to a narrow street called Belmont Way. The buildings were stony and gray, standing tall and close together. She stopped Paul in front of one halfway down the road. It was hard to believe Natalia's vibrant personality called this dreary neighborhood home.

"I can take it from here," Audrey assured Paul, but he wasn't having it. He dragged the trunk behind Audrey all the way up to flat 3A.

Natalia didn't answer her door until Audrey knocked three separate times, and Audrey was shocked at her appearance. Her eyes were swollen and puffy behind her spectacles, which were askew on her face. Her hair stood up at odd intervals, and her scarves drooped around her neck. Across her shoulders, Natalia wore a heavy blanket and she clutched tissues in her hand.

"Audrey, you made it!" The blanket fell to the ground as Natalia threw her arms around Audrey and sobbed into her shoulder.

"Of course, Nat, I said I'd be here by one." Audrey shot Paul a knowing glance, but he was staring at the ground, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

Natalia looked up as if noticing Paul for the first time. "And Paul you drove her here yourself? You're too good. Oh, let me take that."

Paul seemed afraid Natalia would cry into his shoulder too so he let her heave the trunk into the apartment. Audrey gave him a small smile.

"I'll see you later, Paul."

"How long will you be gone again?" He seemed wary.

"As long as it takes," Audrey shrugged. "Could be a while."

"Could I take down Natalia's phone number? I'd feel better if I knew I could call you."

"Er… she doesn't have one," Audrey said. A witch would have no need for a Muggle telephone, but Paul couldn't know that. "Nat's very spiritual, thinks technology messes with her aura."

Paul looked back at the flat, his nose wrinkling. Audrey worried he smelled bullshit, but she strode over to him and touched his arm.

"Hey, there's a payphone by the hospital. I can call you from there. Don't worry about it."

Paul was still tense, but he pecked her on the lips and left. She had the same queasy feeling in her stomach that she had when she convinced Paul he imagined her Apparating in front of her house. Audrey entered Natalia's apartment and shut the door behind her.

"He bought it!" Natalia squealed, sounding distinctly like Ferris Bueller who tricked his parents, feigning sick to stay home from school.

"How did you know he'd follow me upstairs?" Audrey asked, still overwhelmed the plan worked.

"I was counting on it," Natalia grinned. "I only hoped my years of Academy training wouldn't be wasted."

"Yes, Hogwarts is renowned for its theatre program," Audrey laughed. "But seriously, I'm just glad he didn't want to come inside. I'm not sure he'd really believe I was staying here."

Audrey and Natalia stood in the living room, which doubled as a dining room and kitchen. A sofa was shoved in one corner with a table in front of it while an old-fashioned stove, counter, and fridge lined the other side of the room. A tiny hall led to Natalia's cramped bedroom and a bathroom.

"Hey, I've made this a lovely home. Don't knock it." Natalia put her hands on her hips as she surveyed her flat. It did appear comfortable despite its size. The walls were covered in bright tapestries and a calming smell of incense lingered, though Audrey couldn't tell where it came from.

"Besides," she continued. "You know I'm saving for my dream cottage by the sea. Spot of tea, dear?" Natalia moved to the kitchen-half of the room.

"No, I really ought to get to Sirius's place," Audrey said. "I want to get settled before I go to work tonight."

"Merlin's beard, Audrey, it's Sunday," Natalia rolled her eyes.

"People still get sick on Sundays," Audrey told her.

Natalia held up her hands. "Fine, but before you go I've got hot gossip. Would have gone well over tea, but I suppose this will have to do."

"Ooh, what is it?" Audrey longed to sink into the sofa and let Natalia rant, but she knew if she got settled, she'd be lured into a trance and would listen to Natalia's stories all day before she knew it.

Natalia raised her eyebrows. "I'm seeing Jackie this week."

"Who?"

Natalia was disappointed. "Jackie! My mystery Ministry woman, come on, Audrey!"

"Oh, my goodness, right! How exciting!" Audrey mentally kicked herself for not paying better attention to Natalia's story several days before. "But what about Tonks?"

Natalia sighed. "Seems she doesn't play for my team after all. I heard her going on with Ginny about that hunky seeker for Puddlemere United." She shook her head lamentably. "Could have sworn she was a Holyhead Harpies fan."

"A… what?"

"That's the all-female Quidditch team. Honestly, Audrey, I'm making clever sexual references here. I wish you'd appreciate them."

"I would if I knew anything about Quidditch, darling, sorry," Audrey said. "But where are you meeting Jackie? The Leaky Cauldron?"

"To start," Natalia smirked. "We'll see where the night takes us from there."

"Grand, I'm so happy for you, Nat," Audrey beamed. "Give me every juicy detail afterward, alright?"

"Don't I always?" Natalia said with a laugh. "Now, go on, get out of here."

Giving her friend once last smile, Audrey clutched her trunk and spun on the spot. In a moment, she found herself outside of Grimmauld Place, panting from the uncomfortable sensation of Apparition. She approached number twelve and knocked. For a moment, nothing happened, but then she heard a loud, argumentative voice. The door flung open, and Hestia Jones jumped at the sight of Audrey on the stoop. When she recovered, she stepped aside to let Audrey into the house.

"Didn't hear the knock," Hestia told her. Her cheeks were flushed a furious crimson. She turned a fiery gaze to Sirius who stood behind her, looking exhausted. "You're a sick man, Sirius Black."

Hestia gave Audrey a curt but polite nod and stormed out of the house, slamming the door shut behind her. Audrey opened her mouth to ask Sirius what happened but was interrupted by a loud wail. The curtains covering the portrait on the stairs flew open to reveal a screaming, distinguished-looking woman. Her eyes rolled madly as she shouted.

"Vermin! Vermin in my house! Disgusting filth! Traitors and mudbloods!"

"Shut up, you horrible woman!" Sirius bellowed as he sprinted to the portrait. Audrey followed at his heels, leaving her trunk in the hall.

"You!" she roared when she saw him. "Traitorous scum! Shameful burden to my family!"

"Enough!" Sirius snarled. He tugged forcefully at the curtains until they finally slid over the woman's face and she fell silent.

They stood for a long moment in the entryway as Sirius breathed heavily. At last he gave Audrey a dark smile.

"That would be my mother."

Audrey's mouth dropped open. She couldn't think of anything to say, except, "Wow."

"Tell me about it. She must have used a Permanent Sticking Charm on the back because we can't get the portrait down. Believe me, we've tried."

Sirius treaded wearily into the kitchen, and Audrey followed again. He picked up two mugs from the long table, put one in the sink, and filled the other with hot water from a kettle.

"Tea?" he mumbled.

"Sure," Audrey said, settling in a chair. A moment later, Sirius placed a steaming mug in front of her and sat across from her, holding one of his own. She took a sip and was pleased that he left out cream and sugar. She enjoyed tea most in its purest form.

"Mind if I ask what that was all about?" Audrey ventured, nodding toward the front door.

"I ended things with Hestia," Sirius admitted. Audrey didn't even know they were dating, but before she could respond, Sirius waved his hand vaguely. "Not that there was anything to end, really. A casual thing."

"Did she not get that memo?" Audrey said. Hestia was tall and strong. Sirius was lucky she didn't snap him in half like a toothpick.

"I reckon not," he said. "She was looking for something serious, and I…"

He trailed off, and Audrey couldn't stop herself. "You were a different kind of Sirius than she was looking for."

Sirius smiled in spite of himself. "Something like that." He rubbed a hand over his tired face, and Audrey noticed he was dressed in a thin robe tied at the waist and striped pajama pants. A tattoo peeked out of the opening of his robe on his chest, but Audrey couldn't tell what it was—words of some kind. He bit at his thumbnail absently.

"Probably should have done it before she stayed the night."

"Sirius, you didn't!" Audrey exclaimed. "You just had to get that last shag?"

"It does sound awful hearing you say it like that," Sirius cringed.

"I'd say it didn't help matters," Audrey said, shaking her head.

Sirius shrugged and then downed his tea. He looked around the room. "Haven't you got any luggage?"

"I left my trunk in the hall."

"I can show you your room if you like."

"Alright then," Audrey said and she drained her mug.

Sirius's eyes widened. "I didn't mean to rush you."

"You just did the same thing," Audrey pointed out. Sirius shook his head but led Audrey to the hall to gather her luggage and then up the stairs past the row of house-elf heads. Sirius pointed down the hall on the first floor.

"Molly's got the kids cleaning out the drawing room at the moment. The house was in quite a state when I moved in a few months ago. Kreacher hasn't done a damn thing to maintain the house in the ten years since my mum died. The place was downright unlivable. It's starting to get better now."

Sirius climbed more stairs to the second floor and turned to the left.

"Ron and Harry are staying in this room here," he said as they passed one door. He gestured to another door farther on the left. "You'll be staying in that one. There are more rooms upstairs, but we haven't cleared them out just yet. At least here you'll be able breathe without inhaling a decade's worth of dust."

"Always appreciated," Audrey laughed, and Sirius smiled back at her.

"I'll let you get settled then," Sirius said. "Have you had lunch? Molly already made sandwiches for the Hogwarts crowd, but I was going to cook if you wanted anything."

"I ate already, but thanks a lot, Sirius," Audrey told him. "Besides, I have to run to work soon."

"Oh," Sirius seemed disappointed. He ran a hand through his long hair. "How long is your shift?"

"Eight hours," Audrey sighed. "I'll be back in the early hours of the morning."

Sirius nodded. "Well, take this then."

He flicked his wand a set of keys zoomed up the stairs and into his hand. He held them out to her and smirked. "We won't wait up for you."

"Sweet of you," Audrey laughed, taking the keys from his hand.

"So," Sirius crossed his arms over his chest with a mischievous look in his eye. "Where does Paul think you are?"

Sirius had confided in her downstairs, so she responded comfortably. "Staying at Natalia's place and helping her through a tough break-up. Not sure how long I can keep that one up."

"Long enough, I'd say," Sirius said, nodding approvingly. "You gave yourself an indefinite amount of time. Decent plan."

"It is, I mean, it had to be if I came up with it," Audrey said in mock snobbishness.

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh, which was soon drowned out by a loud whining sound coming from upstairs.

"That'll be Buckbeak wondering why I haven't been up to feed him yet," Sirius said. "He's a hippogriff. Been staying in the master bedroom."

Audrey's eyes widened. "You have a hippogriff in your house? What—?"

"We're both on the run from the Ministry, believe it or not," Sirius explained. "Seems a bit cruel keeping him cooped up inside, but he'd be dead if he was recognized in public."

Sirius's eyes darkened, and Audrey had a feeling it wasn't the hippogriff's plight he was thinking about anymore.

"Can I meet Buckbeak?" Audrey asked. "If I just put my trunk down first?"

Sirius's face brightened. "Absolutely. I'll fetch his ferrets and be back in a few minutes."

Audrey grinned as he took off down the stairs. There was something charming about Sirius Black. He was easy to talk to, even if he had his dark moments. And he was handsome in an easy, carefree way. She didn't blame Hestia for wanting him to settle down with her. Her thoughts strayed to the tattoo on his chest, and she imagined herself slipping of his robe and tracing the letters inked into his skin with light fingers. She shook her head quickly and let herself into her new bedroom. Where did that fantasy come from? She forced herself to think about the night she just spent with Paul instead, and her heart hammered against her ribs.

Audrey turned her attention to the room itself. It was larger than her bedroom back at Magnolia Road but featured the same kind of furniture: a double bed, a long mirror, and a wardrobe, though it all looked ancient and considerably more expensive. Heavy curtains covered the window, and she kept them closed, choosing instead to open her trunk and retrieve her scrubs. She didn't want to worry about changing in time for her shift. She dressed quickly and was just tying her hair into a ponytail when someone rapped at the door.

She opened the door to see Sirius with a bunch of ferrets tied together and thrown over his shoulder. He smirked at her scrubs and raised an eyebrow.

"Ready?"

Audrey swallowed, looking steadily into his grey eyes. "Absolutely."


	11. Chapter 11: Spellbound

Audrey followed Sirius upstairs to the master bedroom and gasped at the sight of the magnificent creature that greeted them. The hippogriff had the head and talons of an eagle and the hindquarters of a horse and had two enormous wings stretching from his back. He reared on his haunches at their entrance and snapped his beak expectantly toward the ferrets over Sirius's shoulder. Audrey was in awe of the beautiful animal, but his massive size made her admittedly nervous. His wing span had to be twice as long as she was.

Sirius approached Buckbeak and patted his flank. He tossed one of the ferrets into the air, and Buckbeak caught it with ease, chomping at his meal merrily.

"You can come on over," Sirius beckoned to Audrey, who approached with caution. "You have to get him to trust you. Just look him in the eye, maintain eye contact, and bow. When he bows back, you're in the clear."

"And if he doesn't?" Audrey asked tentatively.

Sirius shrugged. "Pray you can outrun a hippogriff."

Audrey forced a smile and hoped he was kidding. She stepped in front of Buckbeak and stared into his fierce orange eyes. He met her gaze, and Audrey bent low at the waist, not breaking eye contact. Buckbeak gave her a disdainful look but finally inclined his feathered neck. Audrey breathed a sigh of relief. Buckbeak gave no more notice to her, instead turning his attention back to his ferret.

"Easy enough, wasn't it?" Sirius grinned.

"Sure," Audrey said, but her heart was still pounding. She admired the way Buckbeak's feathers faded effortlessly into a grey coat. "God, he's gorgeous."

"Wish you could see him fly," Sirius said. "Soaring through the air, that's his prime."

Audrey believed him and wished the idea didn't make her so sad. Sirius was right; a townhouse in London was no place for a creature like this. He should be spreading his wings and cruising through open skies, preferably with others of his kind.

"Why is he on the run from the Ministry?" Audrey asked.

"Attacked a student at Hogwarts," Sirius said, but he continued quickly at the shocked expression on Audrey's face. "Just a scratch, but he was provoked. Some idiot boy insulted him. Shouldn't expect any different from a Malfoy."

"Malfoy?" Audrey blanched at the familiar name. "Wouldn't happen to be Draco Malfoy, would it?"

"The same," Sirius said, surprised. "Had the pleasure of meeting him?"

"Unfortunately," Audrey said. She didn't elaborate, and Sirius didn't ask her to. She appreciated that; the bizarre encounter in Diagon Alley still disturbed her, and she preferred not to discuss it. She knew that the kid was garbage, especially with the way he treated animals, apparently, but his attitude was nonetheless haunting and unsettling. It reminded her of the world she wanted to run from, the world she'd now fight to stop from occurring.

Audrey took a quick glance at her watch and sucked her teeth. "I have to get to work."

Sirius gave her a quizzical look. "You can Apparate there in seconds. Why leave so early?"

"I can't Apparate in the middle of a Muggle hospital. It would bring up a few questions I can't exactly answer. Although if Sharon Gallagher was the one to see me, I bet they'd lock her in the psych ward for a while. Could be fun." Audrey grinned at the image of the stunned look on her bitchy coworker's face when she materialized out of nowhere. Try to gossip about that one, Sharon.

Sirius laughed and eyed her with a supreme interest that stirred up Audrey's shirtless fantasy of him once again. Definitely time to go.

"I've got to catch the bus," Audrey said. "I'll see you in the morning."

Sirius nodded, and Audrey felt his eyes on her back as she left the room. In the hall, Audrey let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She didn't want to dwell on these new sentiments and looked forward to the chaotic business of her job to distract her.

The house was pitch black and silent when Audrey used Sirius's keys to enter the door after work. She made sure to re-lock it behind her and placed his keys on a nearby end table where she hoped he'd find them. Her head throbbed with exhaustion, and she looked forward to crashing in her new bed. Suddenly, she froze. Her skin prickled, and she realized she wasn't alone on the ground floor.

"Is someone there?" she said in a tone she hoped was audible yet quiet enough to avoid waking anyone.

No one responded, but Audrey could have sworn she heard the light steps of a four-legged animal patter up the stairs.

By the time Audrey woke up in the morning, it was nearly noon. She dressed lazily, throwing a jumper on over some leggings and made her way to the kitchen. She was surprised to find the room wasn't empty: Tonks and Remus sat together at one end of the long table. Tonks beamed at her when she entered, while Remus, who looked extra shabby and worn, managed a small nod of acknowledgement.

"Wotcher, Audrey," Tonks said with a wink. "Molly's fixed a breakfast plate for you. It's in the fridge."

"That's so thoughtful," Audrey said, touched. She found a plate full of bacon, sausage and eggs and set it on the counter. Then, she rummaged through the cabinets in search of coffee and found a sack of whole espresso beans. She eyed the bag curiously and then shrugged, using magic to grind the beans and brew them into her favorite caffeinated liquid.

"Anyone for coffee?" she asked, giving a pointed look to Remus.

Remus nodded, though the gesture seemed to exert a great deal of energy from him.

"Me, too," Tonks said, her eyes focused on Remus's sagging posture.

Audrey prepared three mugs and joined them at the table with her plate of food. She couldn't recall for sure, but she would bet money that there was a full moon the previous night. She thought it tactless to ask about it outright and decided on a different approach.

"What time did you get in?"

"About fifteen minutes ago," Remus said wearily.

"He can't Apparate after his transformation," Tonks explained. "Too weak, you know? Fortunately, the pack he was working with wasn't far from my flat last night. He knocked on my door, and I brought him back here."

She swelled with pride at her ability to help him, but Remus was suddenly very interested in the wood table and didn't look up.

"I prefer to transform alone," Remus said, changing the subject. "But this pack wanted me to run with them this month to prove I was one of them." He shook his head and gave a tiny smile. "When I'm not in my usual safe place during my transformation, it's disorienting. A bit like waking up in an unfamiliar place after being black-out drunk the night before."

Audrey nodded. She had certainly been in that situation before, but at least she had Natalia by her side to help fill in the blanks where her memory let her down. It seemed strangely lucky that Remus ended up so close to Tonks's place. Tonks didn't act as if she noticed the coincidence, however, and Remus seemed to be finished speaking for the time being. He blinked sleepily, and Audrey furrowed her brow.

"Maybe you should skip the coffee and go right to bed," she suggested.

Remus nodded once and stood delicately. Audrey had the urge to help steady him and guide him to his room, but there was a determination in his face that she understood to mean she should leave him alone.

"Thank you, Tonks," Remus said seriously. "For everything."

An uncharacteristic blush crossed Tonks's face, and Remus turned and heavily made his way out of the room. A question burned on the tip of Audrey's tongue, but it must have been nothing compared to Tonks's because she took a large gulp of coffee at that moment and coughed as the scalding liquid hit her throat. Her coughs had barely subsided when Sirius traipsed into the room.

"Morning, ladies," he said cheerily.

"Not quite," Tonks said with a glance at her watch. "It's after noon now. Not just getting up, are you?"

"Come off it, I'm a notorious early riser," Sirius said with a wink. "Is that coffee for me?"

Sirius's word choice reminded Audrey that he was notorious for many, as-of-yet unexplained reasons, and, despite the odd knot in her stomach, she nodded. "Go on, then. It was Remus's, but he hasn't touched it. He's gone up to bed."

"That time of the month," Sirius sighed, grabbing the mug. "I wish I could run with him like I used to, as Padfoot. I think it helped him to have his friends around him in those moments. He'd hang on to a sense of himself. He knew who we were at least."

He drank deeply from his mug. Audrey had a textbook sense of what transforming into a werewolf was like based on her healing training, but she knew there were deep psychological layers involved beyond the physical toll of the process that she would never learn from the pages of a book. She wished there was something she could do to help, but instead she focused on the name she didn't recognize. "Padfoot?"

"My nickname at Hogwarts among my friends because of my Animagus form," Sirius said with a nostalgic smile.

"You became an Animagus while you were still in school?" Audrey exclaimed. The magical process was extremely difficult and dangerous, requiring an enormous amount of dedication and patience, the lengths of which she couldn't imagine a teenage Sirius Black exhibiting.

"We did it for Remus, or Moony, as we called him," he said. "Werewolves are only dangerous toward humans. As animals, we could keep him company every month in complete safety. We'd run gallivanting through the forest like idiots. Same as we'd do as human kids, to be fair. James was a stag, so we called him Prongs. And then Peter was Wormtail, for the rat he is."

A darkness flashed in Sirius's eyes as he took another sip of coffee. Audrey had more questions, but she couldn't tell whether Sirius would mind her asking. She glanced at Tonks for help, but she wasn't paying attention. She stared into her mug, brows furrowed together in thought. Audrey had a feeling she'd hardly heard a word of the conversation.

Finally, Audrey ventured, "Is that James Potter? Harry's father?"

To Audrey's relief, Sirius smiled. "Yeah. He was my best mate. Never had a better friend than James Potter."

Audrey finished her coffee, and Sirius did the same. His bout of nostalgia left him in a good mood, and he took both of their cups and Audrey's empty breakfast plate to the sink with a skip in his gait.

"Well, I'm off to help Molly and the kids clean out the drawing room," he said. "There's a particularly nasty infestation of doxies in the curtains. They need all hands on deck."

"In that case, I'll join you," Audrey said, standing.

Tonks blinked, jolting back to reality at Audrey's motion beside her. "I better go," she muttered. "Have to stop back at the flat before I head to the Ministry."

Still distracted, Tonks nodded goodbyes to both of them and left. Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Wonder what's got her all flustered today?"

Audrey had a guess, but she kept her mouth shut.

Audrey and Sirius climbed the stairs together and entered through a large oak door on the first floor to find a room of mayhem. Seven people armed with spray bottles and large rubber gloves darted in every direction, chasing doxies that buzzed furiously. The creatures were small and fairy-like, but they had black, hairy limbs and two rows of vicious sharp teeth that Audrey knew were full of poison. She watched Ginny yelp as a doxy pulled at her long red hair. George rushed to her rescue but was caught by his mother.

"Don't spray the potion in your sister's face," Molly said, and without missing a beat she pointed her bottle at a nearby doxy and caught it full on. The doxy froze when the potion hit it and fell to the ground, blinking lethargically. She picked it up easily and placed it in a bucket.

Just out of Molly's eyesight, Fred took advantage of the distraction to hide the doxy he just immobilized in his pocket. Catching Audrey's eye, he winked, and Audrey could only imagine what experiments the twins were planning with doxy venom.

"Better arm yourself," Sirius said, handing Audrey a bottle of Doxycide. "There are no gloves left, so careful not to let them bite you."

"Speak for yourself," Audrey grinned, nodding at Sirius's bare hands. Their eyes met and there was a sudden unspoken agreement between them – this chore had just become a competition to see who could capture the most doxies.

They took off in opposite directions, spraying ferociously. They worked with the others, shouting warnings and tag-teaming especially tricky doxies. Audrey helped Hermione corner a nasty one that gave a high-pitched cackle each time it dodged them. Audrey let Hermione take the satisfying final shot that knocked it down, but mentally tallied it as one of her own. She'd be damned if she let Sirius win without a fight.

Finally, panting, everyone stopped running as every last doxy had been immobilized and tossed in a bucket. Molly sighed with relief and called Ginny over to help her dust and open the curtains to allow sunlight to stream into the room. Sirius sauntered over to Audrey.

"So what's your final score?"

"Twelve," Audrey said smugly.

Sirius grinned widely. "I got fourteen."

Audrey groaned loudly as Sirius laughed. Ron piped up, "I got eighteen."

"You worked longer than they did," Hermione told him. "And did you count the one we got together, Audrey? That one took some time."

"I did," Audrey sighed grimly. Sirius grinned more broadly.

"Sirius, you're not on here!" Harry's voice came from across the room. He stood in front of a massive old tapestry that was worn and faded. Sirius's smile dropped, but he strode over to his godson. The tapestry was of a tree covered in faces with names and dates attached that connected with one another. Audrey guessed any pureblood family like the Blacks would proudly display a family tree like this one in their home.

Audrey continued a conversation with Ron and Hermione about Hogwarts, comparing professors now versus when Audrey was in school, exchanging stories about its glorious campus, and Ron was very eager to vent about Severus Snape. While she was engaged with them, she couldn't help overhearing some of Sirius and Harry's conversation. She learned Sirius's spot on the tapestry had been blasted away by his mother when Sirius ran away from home at age sixteen. He'd had a brother who was a Death Eater and was killed for trying to escape them. He was related to Tonks… and to the Malfoys.

And then he mentioned a name that made her shudder: Lestrange. She remembered reading about the Lestranges: a married couple and the husband's brother, You-Know-Who supporters even after his defeat. They tortured a pair of Aurors to insanity and were sentenced to life in Azkaban. She remembered the woman's dark, hooded eyes in her mugshot, eyes that seemed dead but burned with something inhuman, borderline demonic. Sirius was related to the Lestranges… but from his bitter tone, he didn't seem happy about it. In fact, Audrey noticed his voice had become sharp, but as Harry's turned apologetic in response, Sirius slumped his shoulders sullenly. From across the room, Audrey could sense Sirius's frustration and vulnerability. Though Harry was young, he was old enough to be Sirius's confidante. Harry had an adult understanding of the world, and Audrey admired that about him, though she hardly got the chance to speak with him personally.

"…and then he slinks back to his dungeon, the horrid bat," Ron grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. Hermione nodded sympathetically and Audrey joined her.

"Snape's always been like that, even in his first year of teaching," she said.

"Sirius, your hand!"

Harry pointed at Sirius's left hand, which glowed red and swelled to twice its size. Sirius stared at it ruefully, his mouth turned down sourly.

"Got bit by a doxy? Here, let me have a look at it," Molly fussed, hustling over to him.

Sirius frowned and shook his head. "I've got antidotes downstairs."

He gave Audrey a look as if he expected her to say "I told you so." She didn't, instead watching him with a growing concern that didn't have anything to do with doxy poison. He seemed to sense that anxiety because he gave her small smile and a silly wave with his swollen hand before sweeping from the room.

Despite Sirius's cheery farewell, Audrey's anxiety wasn't quelled at all, and when her eyes met Harry's, she saw the same worry reflected back at her.


	12. Chapter 12: Supersonic

Audrey threw back the heavy curtains in her new bedroom and thin sunlight trickled onto the carpet. She couldn't expect much more from cloudy British skies, and she returned to the task of unpacking her trunk. Cranking the volume on her cassette player louder, she set herself to transferring her clothes to the massive wardrobe. She doubted the few garments from her trunk would fill it even a quarter of the way, but she made herself at home all the same. Oasis blared through her headphones, enveloping her in grinding guitar riffs and whiny singing. The band was controversial, to put it mildly. The Gallagher brothers who led the group always had horrible comments they couldn't keep quiet, even fighting among themselves. Despite all that, Audrey loved their music and was incredibly enthusiastic about their new album to be released in a few months. She wondered if her dreadful coworker Sharon Gallagher was related to the infamous siblings. Audrey bet she'd see the resemblance if Sharon stopped waxing her eyebrows…

Audrey shrieked and yanked the headphones from ears. Molly Weasley was framed in her doorway, one hand clutching the doorknob, the other flying up to her chest in alarm.

"I'm so sorry, dear, I didn't mean to frighten you," she said.

"No worries," Audrey said, trying to steady her thudding heartbeat. "I shouldn't have shouted like that. I didn't hear you come in with my music so loud. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, of course," Molly said. She eyed Audrey's Muggle cassette player with an ounce of suspicion. "I just wanted to let you know Dumbledore's sent word that he's on his way and he'd like to speak with you."

"Right, I'll be downstairs in a moment," Audrey said with as much confidence as she could muster.

Molly nodded and retreated back to the hall. "We'll leave the kitchen free for you."

Molly recognized the gravity of the conversation Audrey was about to have with Hogwarts's headmaster, and Audrey hadn't forgotten either. The issue was that Audrey hadn't come to a full decision yet on whether she would accept Dumbledore's offer. Her mind swam with the dozens of points to consider—she doubted writing out a pros and cons list could help her sort out the thoughts buzzing in her brain. She recalled the Pensieve she had seen once in Dumbledore's office during her Hogwarts years. It was too late to ask the headmaster to borrow it, she lamented.

She eyed her reflection in the tall mirror across from her bedroom door and then felt a jolt of panic. She still wore a frumpy sweater over leggings, a terribly inappropriate outfit to wear while discussing a job opportunity. She yanked the ponytail from her hair and tore off her clothes. She grabbed a blouse and slacks from her trunk and was still fumbling with her shirt buttons as she made for the stairs. Audrey may not be certain about her future, but she'd be damned if she blew any opportunity based on her appearance—or tardiness.

Sharp voices carried into the hall as Audrey approached the kitchen. When she entered, both Dumbledore and Sirius looked up at her, ceasing their conversation at once. Dumbledore sat calmly at the table's head while Sirius stood over him with crossed arms and a deep frown.

"Audrey," Dumbledore said, his eyes crinkling with a smile. "A pleasure to see you again."

Sirius nodded at her in acknowledgement, but his expression did not change. "I was just leaving," he grumbled.

"I do hope I've made myself clear, Sirius," Dumbledore said brightly.

Sirius didn't respond and stormed out of the kitchen, slamming the door shut behind him. Audrey knew better than to ask about the exchange she witnessed.

"Please have a seat." Dumbledore gestured to a chair beside him. "I hope you're well."

"I am," Audrey said. For some reason, Dumbledore's pleasant tone made her nervous. "And you as well."

"Quite, thank you," Dumbledore was unfazed by the waver Audrey couldn't hide in her voice and continued to smile at her. "I'm here, as you might remember, to hear your response to my job offer. Have you reached a decision?"

Audrey hesitated, wringing her hands. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Dumbledore said.

"Why have you asked me to be the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts? Is it… related to the Order?"

Dumbledore nodded. Her question was not a surprising one. "Yes and no. The position will involve academic duties for the purpose of educating students first and foremost. Its relation to the Order is of less consequence for the time being, but its value will be revealed in due course."

His response was annoyingly vague, but Audrey bit her tongue. Dumbledore wasn't finished speaking. "I have asked you specifically to fill this vacancy in my staff because you are qualified for the position," he said. "I remember you as a particularly bright student and have spoken to your prior employers at St. Mungo's who give you glowing recommendations. Not only that, but your character proves to be just the person I need on my staff. Your moral compass is strong, you're loyal, and you're courageous. Quite simply, I trust you. We are approaching dark times, Audrey, as you know. I would be honored to have someone like you by my side both in the Order and at Hogwarts."

Audrey's mouth fell open. She was enormously flattered by Dumbledore's words, but she was left with more questions than answers.

"That means a lot coming from you, sir," she said gracefully. "But how are the Order and Hogwarts linked? Is this some kind of subtle mission or just a job?"

Dumbledore smiled, and before he opened his mouth, Audrey knew she wasn't getting a straight answer. "A bit of both. I apologize that I can't say more than that just now."

Audrey bit her lip. His vagueness worried her more than she'd like to admit, but even more than that, she was frustrated. She took a deep breath, and as she exhaled, tried to release her emotions.

"What happened to the previous Muggle Studies professor?"

Dumbledore sighed, his smile fading. He suddenly looked tired. "Professor Burbage is missing. No one has heard from her for several months."

Audrey's eyes widened. "What do you mean 'missing'?"

Her heart sank as Dumbledore confirmed what she dreaded to hear. "Charity Burbage is quite bold in her beliefs regarding Muggle rights. It's one of many qualities I admire about her. But it's dangerous to be outspoken in times like these, more dangerous than she could have realized. It happened years ago when Voldemort first rose to power—people who opposed Voldemort or said a word against what he stood for would disappear overnight, never to be heard from again. Now, these disappearances have begun again. Charity Burbage is not the only one."

Audrey had no response to that. Dumbledore watched her with steady blue eyes as her fears crashed into each other in her mind.

"I have already asked so much from you," Dumbledore said after a moment. "I know. And I know what I ask now is too much. I have been vague, frustratingly so, and exposed you to very real danger. But I do ask for your trust in that this is what's best for the school, for the Order, and for you."

Audrey thought of Paul. If she accepted this position and put her faith in Dumbledore, she couldn't hide herself from him anymore. She would be away for nearly a year, and she would have to tell him why. She swallowed. Then, for some reason, she thought of Sirius. But before she allowed herself to dwell on that, she turned to Dumbledore.

"I accept your offer," she told him stiffly.

"Thank you, Audrey, I know what this means to you," he said, nodding gravely. Audrey didn't miss the irony that typically a newly hired employee would be thanking her employer at the end of an interview, not the other way around.

Dumbledore continued, "I will be in touch with further details, but I must ask you something in all seriousness." He gazed at her over his half-moon spectacles with eyes that seemed to see straight through her. "Is there anything you wish to tell me? Anything at all?"

Audrey thought of that night at St. Mungo's four years ago—a burned, blistered, screaming man in the emergency ward. She and her fellow healers couldn't even tell what was wrong with him to determine which floor to send him to… his burns spread across his body, stemming from his hands and face.

"Master!" the man pleaded between cries of pain. "Master, please! Save me!"

Then Audrey heard the unmistakable hiss of a snake. It seemed to come from inside the man himself. Audrey froze then—something was incredibly wrong. While her coworkers bustled about their work trying to the save the man's life, Audrey watched as a smoky mist rose from the man's body. He lost consciousness, but Audrey's eyes remained fixed on this mist. She watched it form into the shape of another man, and for a moment Audrey thought she was seeing a ghost. But it was something worse—something incredibly sinister. The mist became a shadow, and Audrey saw a horrible face. It had a lipless, sour mouth, thin slits for nostrils, and glowing red eyes that glared at the man on the hospital bed with disgust. Then those eyes moved to meet hers, and Audrey had to fight with herself not to scream. The shadow of the man looked startled at first, as if it didn't expect to be seen, but then it smiled, a cruel, haunting grin, its red eyes were full with hatred. Suddenly, the shadow charged at her, passed right through her, and she felt her breath leave her body. She collapsed to the ground and awoke a day later in a hospital bed of her own on the magical bugs ward, drenched in a cold sweat. But Audrey knew she wasn't suffering from a Wizarding disease—she had come to face to face with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself.

Audrey straightened in her chair, returning to the present, and looked Dumbledore in the eye as she responded. "Only that I'm looking forward to returning to Hogwarts in September." She even managed a smile.

Dumbledore returned the smile, but she thought she caught a glimmer of disappointment in his eyes. He stood from his chair. "In that case, I must be going. I have business to attend to down at the southern end of the country. I hope you'll excuse me as I send this message on to Professor McGonagall regarding your joining us at the school."

Audrey watched as Dumbledore pointed his wand toward the kitchen window, which was sealed tightly. From its tip emerged a silvery figure that evolved to the shape of a majestic phoenix. It spread its wings and circled the room once before pausing in front of Dumbledore expectantly.

"Minerva, Ms. Callahan has accepted the position. I shall see you Thursday for tea," Dumbledore told the bird. At the conclusion of his words, the phoenix took flight and soared through the closed window.

"A Patronus can be used for more than just fighting dementors," he said to Audrey with a wink. "For instance when an owl isn't handy."

Audrey was too shocked by the unexpected spell to respond. He gave her a final nod. "I look forward to seeing you at our staff table, Audrey."

Dumbledore made his way across the kitchen. Audrey gave herself a shake and then followed him to the door.

"Professor—I mean, Dumbledore?" she said awkwardly. "I'm sorry I'm acting so… I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful… so thank you, sir."

"I would never think that of you," Dumbledore said seriously. "It is the Order that owes gratitude to you."

Audrey watched him step into the hallway and heard the locks click open and then click back into place as the door closed behind the headmaster. She leaned against the kitchen door frame apprehensively. Though her concerns with taking the job at Hogwarts had grown, she agreed to do it anyway. The woman she was replacing was missing, disappeared into the night without a trace, and Audrey decided to fill her position. And Dumbledore refused to tell her what this job had to do with the Order of the Phoenix. Had she gone mad? It was hard not to be flattered though—Dumbledore had given her some serious compliments. He wasn't one to say what he didn't mean, but how could he possibly assess her character when she hardly knew her? She couldn't quell her suspicions, but the decision was made. That stress was gone, and she could now work at making peace with her chosen path.

"So you're taking the Hogwarts job?"

Audrey leapt nearly a foot in the air. She didn't hear Sirius enter the hallway. She noticed his sour mood hadn't improved, and he furrowed his brows darkly as he waited for her to respond.

"Yes, I am," she said. "No idea what I'm in for, but it's happening."

"Congratulations," Sirius said gruffly. "So you'll be leaving in September too?"

"Yes, I'll be out of your hair soon enough," Audrey joked, but Sirius didn't crack a smile.

"You've only got a few weeks left," Sirius said. "You'll have to give notice to the hospital that you'll be leaving."

Audrey hadn't even thought that far ahead, and her chest tightened thinking of everything she needed to sort out before September 1.

"Do you work tomorrow?" Sirius asked, bringing Audrey back to reality.

"Yes, 8 to 4," she told him. "Why?"

"Arthur is taking Harry to his disciplinary hearing tomorrow morning," Sirius said. "I'm not allowed to go with him, but… you take the bus from the Green, right?"

"I do."

"They'll be taking that same bus to the Ministry in the morning. Do you mind looking out for Harry on the way there? I know Arthur will be there, but…" Sirius trailed off.

"Of course, I will," Audrey said. "I'd be happy to."

Sirius gave her a grim smile. He reached out a hand and clasped her on the shoulder warmly. "Thank you."

Sirius left his hand there for a moment, and then let his fingertips brush down her arm before pulling back suddenly, dropping his hand to his side in a clenched fist. His face faded back to its brooding grimace, and he stepped past her into the kitchen. Audrey headed back to her bedroom, doing her best to ignore the electric energy she felt at his touch.


	13. Chapter 13: Sunny Afternoon

The early dawn light had just begun to peek out from her curtains when Audrey awoke and changed into her scrubs. She crept down the stairs as lightly as she could, not wishing to wake up the whole house, but when she reached the kitchen, she found Sirius's long table crowded.

Molly, Arthur, Remus, Sirius, and Tonks all jerked their heads up to look at her when she entered, breaking into smiles when they recognized her.

"Morning, Audrey," Remus was the first to speak. "Hope you slept well."

"Looks like you did, at last," Audrey said. He did look much better than the previous day—the bags under his eyes had shrunk and he sat steadily in his seat.

"Thought we wouldn't see Moony out of bed for another two days at least," Sirius said, smirking into his teacup. Audrey was relieved he regained some of his good humor.

Tonks yawned loudly at that moment, and Sirius let out his barking laugh. "It's Tonks who'll disappear to bed now for a few days."

"Forgive me," Tonks said, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm exhausted. I've been up all night. I was on guard duty for the Order after my shift at the Ministry."

"Goodness, how are you still upright?" Audrey said, making her way to Sirius's coffee. She'd have to replenish his supply sooner or later – she was using so much of it.

Tonks gave a small laugh. "I won't be for much longer, I can assure you. I thought I'd report back before heading home. On the way out of the office, Scrimgeour stopped me…"

"Don't trouble yourself, Audrey," Molly interrupted, springing from her chair and hurrying over to Audrey at the counter. "I can take care of that. What will you have for breakfast? Eggs? Sausage?"

"No, Molly, I can handle a cup of coffee," Audrey said. "And I'll grab something quick in the cafeteria at work. I'm fine, really, thank you."

Molly resumed her seat, not looking pleased at the prospect of Audrey leaving the house unfed. No sooner had she touched the chair did she leap from it again when Harry entered the room. She fussed over his breakfast and his messy black hair that stuck up in all directions, no matter how hard Molly pulled a comb through it.

Audrey sipped her coffee from the counter and watched as the adults assured Harry he shouldn't be nervous, the trial would go swimmingly, Amelia Bones was incredibly fair, and he had nothing to worry about. Harry nodded his response but stared grimly at the plate of toast Molly laid in front of him, his face pale.

Finally, Arthur glanced at his watch. "Shall we be off? It's a tad early, but we'd be better waiting around at the Ministry than here."

Harry gave another weak nod and stood with Arthur. They were both in Muggle attire for the journey to town: Harry in an awkward-fitting, formal suit, and Arthur in a wild pair of pants and a bomber jacket. They would be quite a party together along with Audrey in her scrubs on public transportation.

Arthur turned to Audrey with a small smile. "You'll be joining us for the ride on the Muggle bus, right? Sirius says that's how you get to your hospital job."

"That's right," Audrey nodded. She downed her coffee as the others gave final words of encouragement to Harry.

"Good luck, Harry," Tonks said with a slow, sleepy blink.

"It's going to work out just fine," Lupin said.

"And if it doesn't, I'll see to Amelia Bones personally," Sirius growled, and a menacing look crossed his face.

Harry swallowed, and then was covered in an embrace from Molly. "It will all be over soon," she told him. "We'll be here when you get back."

Harry nodded and followed Arthur out the door. Audrey came behind them but stole one last glance at the kitchen table. The darkness in Sirius's eyes was gone—he looked, instead, weary and sad. He met Audrey's gaze and she winked at him, hoping to convey some kind of encouragement. She couldn't be sure, but she thought the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. She soon found herself on the sidewalk outside of number twelve.

They were alone at the bus stop save for an old woman wearing heavy shawls despite the August heat. The sun had barely risen, but the air was already thick and warm. She imagined Harry would be stifling soon with the combination of the weather and pressure of the day's events, and she imagined Arthur would likely strip off his jacket before long. He did just that as the red double-decker bus approached them.

Audrey boarded first with her bus pass, and she watched as Harry counted Muggle coins to pay for both his and Arthur's fare. They sat across from each other on the bottom level. Arthur had a smile plastered on his face as he admired a man in front of him listening to music on a Walkman. However, Audrey noticed he was rather tense. She could relate – she felt like she was part of a guard protecting Harry Potter and couldn't help casting suspicious glances at her fellow passengers.

Harry sat stoically, not looking up from the floor, and Audrey thought it was her turn to give him a pep talk.

"I can feel your nerves on edge from here, Harry," she said light-heartedly.

Harry shrugged and didn't respond. Audrey continued, "I know everyone's said it already, but you really will be grand. You're not alone—you know that, don't you?"

Harry finally met her gaze, and for a brief moment, Audrey saw strained vulnerability reflecting back at her from deep green eyes, a burden no man should have to carry, let alone a fifteen-year-old—the Chosen One. She wanted to wrap him in a hug, but instead let Harry return to his grim staring contest with the bus floor. She barely knew the kid, after all.

Her stop came quickly and after a quick goodbye, she watched the bus speed away from her. She mentally rehearsed the conversation she would have with her boss regarding her change in position as she walked toward the hospital, but her mind kept drifting to Harry. He was meant to save them all, to serve as a symbol of hope, but she couldn't shake a sense of impending doom for the boy. She nearly crashed into Sharon Gallagher when she stepped into the lift.

"Wake up, Audrey, would you?" Sharon sneered. Then she forced a toothy smile. "Oh, I just saw the rounds sheet, and you're down in ER this morning. Better neck an extra coffee because the queue's already filled until 3, last I checked."

Audrey pursed her lips. "Thanks for the heads up, Sharon." Hogwarts seemed more appealing by the second.

That evening, Audrey dragged herself up the stairs to number twelve. Her boss had not taken her resignation well—the hospital was short-staffed as it was. The rest of the nurses seemed to think Audrey had turned her back on them by leaving. Only Sharon Gallagher seemed to walk with an extra skip in her step. That girl fed off negative energy, Audrey swore. But she was eager to hear how Harry's trial had gone, and her chest was tight with anxiety as she knocked on the front door.

The locks clicked, and Sirius opened the door, his mouth set in a grim line. He tossed his keys to her mechanically.

"You should hold on to these," he grumbled. "I won't be using them anyway."

"What's happened?" Audrey said. She hoped Sirius's attitude wasn't a reflection of Harry's hearing. "Did Harry win his trial?"

"Yes," Sirius said gruffly. Audrey sighed, letting the heavy sense of worry leave her body. It troubled her that Sirius's tone didn't match this good news.

"Ah, what a relief!" Audrey beamed anyway. Sirius gave her a small smile in return and turned away. She followed him to the kitchen.

"Harry must be thrilled to go back to Hogwarts," Audrey continued, tossing her bag on the counter.

"He's in better spirits, that's for sure," Sirius said as he put the kettle on.

"You're not," Audrey observed.

"Yes, I am," Sirius said in a flat voice. "I'm thrilled Harry's going to school in a few weeks. It's where he belongs."

"You're going to miss him," Audrey realized.

Sirius sighed, running a hand through his long hair. "Of course, I'm going to miss him. He's my godson. But he's got to go to school and have a grand time, as he's meant to. I'll be fine in this goddamn empty house."

"Well, you won't be alone. The Order—"

"The Order comes for business, that's all."

"But Remus…"

"…is being called away increasingly more often on missions," Sirius finished.

Audrey watched him. Sirius crossed his arms across his chest. He seemed to be aiming for a surly look, but all Audrey saw was a grown-up pout, though she could feel how lonely he was and how much he longed to leave the house.

"That sucks," Audrey concluded. Sirius furrowed his brow, and Audrey shook her head, recognizing her use of Muggle slang may not be known in the Wizarding world. "I mean, it's not ideal circumstances, to be sure, but it's better than Azkaban."

The lines in Sirius's face grew deeper. "I'll knock the face in of the next person to tell me this is better than Azkaban. You haven't been locked up there, have you?"

Audrey frowned back. "No."

"Then you don't know what it was like, do you?" His tone was harsh, and Audrey did her best not to let her temper flare.

"You can talk to me about it if you like," she said evenly.

Sirius didn't move. He stared at the floor, just as his godson had done on the bus that morning. Audrey sighed and reached into her bag.

"Here," she slid a tin of instant coffee across the counter. "Thought I'd replenish your supply since I've drank so much of yours."

Sirius wrinkled his nose. "What the hell is that?"

"Coffee," Audrey said pointing to the writing on the tin. "Don't be fucking rude."

At that, he laughed his bark-like laugh and moved to inspect the tin. He popped the lid to view the grounds inside. "Coffee, eh? I doubt that."

Audrey snatched the tin from him and moved to the kettle. "Have a seat, and I'll prove it to you."

With a smirk, Sirius threw up his hands and sat at the table. Remus entered at that moment with a raised eyebrow.

"What's going on here?" he said wryly.

"Audrey's arguing coffee can come from an aluminum tin," Sirius laughed. "Muggles come up with the strangest things."

"Fancy a cup, Remus?" Audrey asked.

"I'd come in for tea, but caffeine is caffeine, isn't it?" Remus said, sliding into a seat across from Sirius. "Thanks very much, Audrey."

"Still recovering?" she said, pulling down a third mug from the cupboard.

"Not sure I ever have time to fully recover, to be honest," Remus replied, rubbing a hand over his face.

Audrey didn't have a chance to respond because a silvery phoenix soared through the kitchen window at that moment. Startled, she dropped the mug in her hand, and it crashed into a dozen pieces on the floor. The bird hovered in front of Remus, and when it opened its beak, Dumbledore's voice echoed around the room.

"Another pack located in Durham. Please inquire with your sources more about them and their known allegiances."

With that the phoenix evaporated and was gone. Remus and Sirius had barely bat an eye at its appearance, and Audrey was embarrassed by her reaction to Dumbledore's Patronus. She had just seen it the previous afternoon, after all.

"Are you alright?" Sirius asked her, trying his best to hide his grin.

"Yes," she said quickly. She fumbled in her bag for her wand and then pointed it at the broken pieces. "Reparo!"

The mug reassembled itself, and Audrey continued making coffee. Sirius turned to Remus.

"You'll be off to Durham in a week or so, you reckon?"

"No doubt," Remus said. He rubbed his face with both hands.

Audrey brought three steaming mugs of coffee to the table and eyed them both as they took a sip.

"Not bad," Sirius admitted. "Mine was better."

"It's lovely, Audrey, thank you," Remus said. "Sorry if the Patronus gave you a fright."

"An owl would have been easier," Audrey said with a shrug.

"But owls call attention and have more of a chance of a security breach," Remus explained. "Many members of the Order have taken to conjuring Patronuses to send messages. Dumbledore invented the method himself."

"You can all cast a Patronus spell?" Audrey asked in awe. Her heart sank. She'd never even attempted such complicated magic before. No wonder Dumbledore thought it best she not stray too far from the Muggle world.

"Not at first," Remus said. "Have you ever conjured one?"

"I've never tried," Audrey admitted.

"I can help you, if you like," Remus said. "After you work one day, perhaps?"

"Really? You would do that?" Audrey couldn't hide her excitement. She hadn't learned new magic in years.

"Moony taught Harry how to cast a Patronus spell," Sirius said, glowing with pride for his friend. "During the year he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts."

"I didn't know you did that!" Audrey exclaimed.

"That was before the parents discovered their children were being taught by a werewolf," Remus said, but he was smiling into his mug.

"Oh, Remus, I beg of you, please give me advice on being a Hogwarts professor!" Audrey said.

Remus laughed. "You have nothing to worry about, I assure you, but it does help to have an interesting lesson your first day…"

He launched into stories from his teaching days, and Audrey drank them up eagerly. Before they knew it, Molly had joined them in the kitchen to prepare dinner, and Audrey leaped up to help her cook. She had only lived at number twelve for three days, but she felt completely at home in the house. The atmosphere was so warm and welcoming, something she hadn't really known since her own childhood. Considering the offending portrait of Sirius's mother by the staircase, Audrey guessed this was the first time the house had ever known this kind of warmth within its walls, and she recognized why Sirius wasn't looking forward to letting that go in September. He would be left alone with the ghosts of his childhood memories. But as Sirius offered to chop vegetables for dinner with that cheery grin, Audrey couldn't help but wonder the exact sort of ghosts he endured everyday.

Audrey yelped when Sirius poked her in the side as he passed to the sink. She just saw him turn away with a smirk and focus on washing vegetables, and she did her best to pay attention to the meat she was tenderizing instead of the fluttering feeling in her stomach.


	14. Chapter 14: Common People

The following morning, Audrey had no sooner entered the hospital door for her shift when she was paged to her boss's office.

"Have a seat, Audrey," her boss, Frances, said with a grave tone.

Nervously, Audrey obeyed and sat in a rickety chair in front of Frances's desk. Frances sighed and removed her glasses. Audrey guessed she was around 45 years old, but it was hard to tell. She looked like she hadn't had a normal sleeping schedule in 30 years.

"It's not good news," Frances said.

"I didn't know I was expecting news at all," Audrey said. She gave her notice of resignation yesterday. Was it not a clear-cut situation?

"Your contract has been terminated."

Audrey's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Frances sighed again. "You're leaving the hospital before the end of your contract, so the board has elected to terminate it immediately. Your last day isn't two weeks from now, it's today."

"But… but I gave my two weeks' notice…"

"According to the contract you signed when you started here, you need to give your employer 30 days' notice before leaving the company. Obviously, if it were up to me, I'd keep you on as long as you needed. Lord knows, we need all the help we can get."

Audrey was speechless. She was fired. She was planning on leaving the job anyway, but it stung that wasn't of her own accord anymore.

"They wanted you out of here immediately, but I managed to convince them give you the full day," Frances continued. "I've assigned you to pharmaceuticals, but I'd understand if you want to leave now."

Audrey winced. What was the point of staying at a job where she wasn't wanted? And working with the pharmaceutical department was one of the more dreaded shifts among the nurses. There was no patient interaction, and the pharmacists refused to give nurses any responsibilities beyond clerical work. Still, Audrey needed the money.

"I'll stay until the end of my shift," Audrey said, her voice thick.

The rest of the day dragged. She begged the pharmacists for assignments so she could distract herself from her own sour mood, but, not surprisingly, they refused. The other nurses seemed to avoid her, barely meeting her eye. No one even said goodbye to her as she left the hospital for the final time at 4 PM. She entered number twelve with a heaviness in her chest.

"Hi, Audrey," Remus said brightly as she walked into the kitchen. "Tea?"

"Maybe something a bit stronger," Audrey grumbled as she took a seat at the table.

"Bad day?" Remus said. "What happened?"

"I got fired," Audrey said. It sounded strange saying the words aloud.

Remus gave a low whistle and, to Audrey's relief, pulled a bottle of firewhiskey from a cabinet.

Sirius entered the kitchen jovially, leaning against the doorframe. "Thought I heard you come in, Audrey." He eyed Remus with amusement as he poured out two drinks. "A bit early for that, isn't it, Moony?"

"I got fired," Audrey repeated.

"Shit," Sirius said. He sat across from Audrey at the table. "What happened?"

"Apparently, I violated my employee contract, so they just terminated it."

"At least you've got other work lined up," Sirius said.

"Still not a good feeling to be let go from a job," Remus said, bringing three cups of firewhiskey to the table.

"Very true," Sirius said. "And I didn't say I wanted a drink."

"I know better than to ask by now," Remus said. He smirked as he took a sip from his glass, and Sirius laughed and did the same.

"You should have seen us in our Hogwarts days," Sirius grinned at Audrey. "We may have abused our Animagus abilities to sneak to Hogsmeade and steal a bit of booze every now and again."

"I'm shocked," Audrey said with a laugh. She appreciated the distraction and looked forward to more stories about the two men's youth. "Remus, how could you let this happen?"

Remus threw up his hands. "It was impossible to stop James and Sirius from doing anything they'd set their minds to. I think Dumbledore hoped I would make a difference in their behavior when he made me a Prefect, but it was no use."

"Remember the first time we got Wormtail drunk?" Sirius said slyly.

Remus snorted into his glass. "Merlin's beard, he nearly asked Mary MacDonald to marry him that night. We had to roll him up the stairs to bed."

Sirius cackled. "Ah, that was brilliant. And you were a riot back then, Moony, when we could convince you to drink with us." He leaned over toward Audrey and lowered his voice. "He was a table dancer."

"Are you not anymore?" Audrey asked Remus with a raised eyebrow. "It'd be a major disappointment if I missed out on that."

"Maybe we'll find out soon," Sirius grinned.

"It's only 5," Remus said with a smile. "I think one more drink will be enough for me for now. Hardly enough for a dance."

He stood to retrieve the bottle of firewhiskey, and Audrey drained her glass. The warmth of the drink spread throughout her body, and she relaxed. The stress that had settled in her ribcage loosened its grip. Remus filled their cups and then raised his own.

"To table dancing," he said. "And however far we may or may not have come from that."

They laughed and drank together. Sirius turned his mischievous grin to Audrey.

"I'm sure you had your own stories of school mayhem. Let's hear it."

Audrey shook her head. "I wasn't nearly as bad as Natalia. But I was dragged into some of her schemes, of course. There was one time when Nat was snogging this Slytherin girl on the sly."

"Scandalous," Remus said.

"And then her boyfriend found out about it…"

"Absolutely scandalous," Sirius said, nodding.

"So this boyfriend tries to corner Natalia after Charms one day," Audrey continued. "Aims a Bat Bogey hex at her while her back's turned and then misses. So she hits him with a Tickling Charm and makes her escape. But she's dying for revenge and recruits me to help her out. We end up throwing a massive party in the Hufflepuff common room— our entire year was invited. The Slytherin couple shows up, they pretend they don't know us, so Nat spikes his drink with a laxative potion I heard about in a book from the restricted section of the library. Took us a week to brew it, and it was extremely potent. He didn't even make it to the toilet. Shat himself in the hall."

"Ah, deadly!" Sirius laughed.

"Did he try to get back at you?" Remus asked.

"He never figured out it was us." Audrey couldn't suppress a grin. "Not the sharpest tool in the box, that one. He was mortified, of course, and just figured it was the flu."

"He had it coming," Sirius said, finishing his drink. "Only cowards try to attack someone with their back turned."

"Tell me about it," Audrey said, and she downed the rest of her firewhiskey. "I did feel guilty afterward, but we did the entire school a favor. The kid was a menace, a bully really, but he became quite subdued after that night."

"You know what would be a good idea?" Sirius said, his eyes brightening. "Remus can give you your first Patronus lesson today."

Remus shrugged and turned to Audrey. "If you're up for it, I'd be happy to."

Though the firewhiskey made her feel a little better, Audrey wasn't sure she was up for learning new, challenging magic at that moment. But she was curious, and she didn't want to seem disagreeable.

"Let's do it then," she said with what she hoped was an enthusiastic smile.

"Excellent." Sirius pushed back his chair. "There's an empty room on the second floor with plenty of open space we can use."

"We?" Remus said with a raised eyebrow. "This lesson isn't for you, Sirius."

"If you think I'm missing Audrey in action, you are tragically mistaken, my friend," Sirius said. His eyes swept over her, up and down, eagerly.

"I'll be sure to give you quite a show," she responded lightly.

Sirius laughed and led them upstairs. The room was empty save for a couch to the side, covered in a sheet, and a long bookshelf. Sirius plopped down on the couch and sat earnestly, looking like a kid about to watch his first Quidditch match.

"Don't mind me, go on," he said. He propped his chin on his fist.

"Right," Remus said, giving Sirius a warning look. He turned to Audrey. "What do you know about the Patronus charm?"

"I know it's meant to ward off dementors but apparently it's also used to send messages," Audrey said. "And it takes the shape of an animal, which is different for each person."

"A corporeal Patronus will take the form of an animal, yes," Remus told her. "It's much harder to conjure one of those. More likely, at first, your Patronus will be more of a shapeless silver mist. The incantation is _Expecto patronum_."

"Got it," Audrey said. She brandished her wand.

"Hang on just a moment," Remus chuckled. "The most important part of the spell is that you've got to think of your happiest memory. Not just any happy memory—your _happiest._ Let it fill you up, and then say the incantation."

"Alright," Audrey said. She thought of when Paul first told her he loved her. They were walking on a chilly beach, hand in hand, in the moonlight. She had never cared so much for another person before, and she couldn't believe someone so lovely would be standing beside her. Then words were out of his mouth so suddenly, yet she wasn't taken off guard. It was nearly predictable. He had smiled widely, relieved, when she said it back. He kissed her then, softly. Was that really six months ago? Time had flown.

She took a deep breath and raised her wand. " _Expecto patronum._ "

Nothing happened.

"No worries, you can try again when you're ready," Remus said.

" _Expecto patronum!_ " Audrey said with more passion. She thought of how the wind played with Paul's curls. But again, nothing happened.

Remus's patience didn't falter. "Perhaps another memory might—"

He broke off his sentence as they heard a clamor on the stairs. Natalia burst into the room panting.

"There you are!" she exclaimed. "We've got a bit of a situation."

"What kind of a situation?" Audrey asked tentatively.

Natalia looked from Remus to Sirius hesitantly and then shook her head, accepting their presence. "You've got an angry boyfriend in my flat looking for you."

"Paul? But what—"

"You haven't called him… at all," Natalia said.

"It's only been three days," Audrey said. "That's not so terrible, is it?"

Natalia shook her head. "I've got Jackie entertaining him now. I said I was going to the loo and then I Apparated over here. I'm just glad I found you."

"Jackie! This is interrupting your date!" Audrey exclaimed in horror. "Shit, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry about that just yet," Natalia told her. "Worry about Paul. He is sincerely pissed."

"Shit, okay, yeah," Audrey muttered. She turned to Remus and Sirius. "Is it alright if we postpone this?"

"Absolutely, do what you have to do," Remus said. Sirius nodded and bit at his thumbnail, saying nothing.

"Okay, let's go," Audrey said to Natalia, and they rushed toward the door. "I think I have a plan."


	15. Chapter 15: Needle In The Hay

Audrey stared at the peeling "3A" on the door to Natalia's flat. She thought she heard a faint cracking sound and guessed Natalia Apparated back into her bathroom. She was nervous—Natalia said Paul was furious. She'd never seen him angry before: flustered and irritated, sure, but never actually irate. She had no idea what she'd find on the other side of the door, but the longer she waited outside, the worse the situation would become. She shook herself and tried to put on a face of utter normalcy. Finally, she pushed open the door.

Paul looked up at her, and his mouth was pressed into a straight line. Beside him sat a tan woman with long, curly brown hair that Audrey assumed to be Jackie. The relief that flooded her face upon seeing Audrey was unmistakable.

Audrey smiled in what she hoped was pleasant surprise. "Hi, Paul, what are you doing here? And you must be Jackie, right? Natalia told me so much about you."

"She said you'd be back soon," Paul said in a flat voice. "Wasn't sure if I believed her. But here you are, at last."

Jackie got to her feet, a nervous smile plastered on her face. "I think I'll go check on Natalia. I'm sure we'll talk soon, Audrey."

She darted down the hall, and Audrey heard a door slam shut. Paul stood then and crossed the room in two long strides. Audrey stiffened. What was he going to do?

He towered over her for a moment, and then spread his arms and enveloped Audrey in a hug.

"I've missed you, babe," Paul mumbled into her hair.

"It's only been three days," Audrey stammered in her surprise. He was surprisingly warm for someone who was allegedly so angry. "I've been working, you knew that."

Paul winced at her words and pulled away, looking down at Natalia's dingy carpet. "So I'm the clingy boyfriend, huh?"

"Of course not," Audrey said quickly. She spoke delicately—she had no idea which direction Paul's emotions would fall next. "I'm surprised to see you here is all. Is everything alright?"

Paul's mouth pressed into a line once again. "Just haven't heard from you and wanted to check in. You said you would call."

"I've been busy," Audrey told him. "With work and Natalia and all."

Paul nodded down the hall. "Natalia seems much better than when I last saw her. Jackie wouldn't be the same girl that left her so… broken-hearted, would she?"

His voice had an edge to it now. Audrey swallowed. "Everyone copes differently."

Paul nodded stiffly. "Well, it seems you can move back home sooner than you thought now. Jackie is a nice girl."

It was Audrey's turn to avert her gaze to the carpet. "We'll see." She moved past Paul to put her bag on Natalia's rickety coffee table.

"Tough day at work?" Paul asked. His voice was higher than usual, and Audrey didn't like it.

"You can't even imagine," Audrey responded heavily.

"The last day can be really tough, I hear," Paul cut in sharply. Audrey opened her mouth, to retort – how did he know she was fired? But Paul interrupted. "I called the hospital looking for you. Sharon Gallagher told me everything."

"That snooty bitch," Audrey muttered, rubbing a hand over her face. "I was going to tell you I was fired, but I just—"

"You weren't just fired though, Audrey," Paul said. "You resigned. Were you going to tell me that? What's this new position in the north of the country I'm hearing about?"

"It's… a teaching position," Audrey stammered. They were headed for treacherous waters. Audrey hadn't bargained that the conversation would take this direction so quickly: it was time for her to decide just how much she would reveal.

Paul shook his head in disbelief. "Teaching? You've never mentioned teaching before. Where is this coming from?"

Audrey bit her lip. "It's been a weird week."

"I knew something was up with you, but you're making major life decisions here," Paul said gravely. "Perhaps you're acting a little too rashly. Let's stop and think for a moment." He sighed, and when his eyes met Audrey's, his face darkened. "I do have one more question for you." Audrey nodded weakly for him to continue. "Are you even living here?"

Audrey looked around Natalia's apartment. The kitchen/dining room/living room was smaller than her den on Magnolia Road. With Paul's last accusation, she felt those paper-thin walls closing in around her, and her heart seemed to clench in apprehension. If she was going to tell Paul the truth, this was the time. Her eyes fell back to Paul, who was frowning deeply.

"I've been nothing but honest with you," he told her. "I'm asking you now to return the favor."

Audrey closed her eyes. "You're not going to believe me."

"Try me," Paul said darkly.

She sighed. "I'm not living here, Paul." Paul snorted, and she continued. "I'm in hiding at the headquarters of a secret organization."

Paul froze. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Because I really am taking a teaching job up north." Audrey inhaled sharply. "It's a Wizarding school. It teaches kids how to do magic."

Paul's frown grew deeper. "Like card tricks?"

"No," Audrey said gravely. "Real magic."

Paul threw up his hands. "Unbelievable. If you don't want to tell me the truth, fine. I'll walk out that door and you won't hear from me again."

"Paul, please…"

His eyes fell on her face once again. He must have seen some sign of sincerity because he softened. "Show me."

Shakily, Audrey withdrew her wand from her bag. Paul wrinkled his nose and said nothing. She pointed it at the couch cushion beside her.

" _Reducto!_ "

The cushion exploded, sending cotton fuzz flying in a dozen different directions. Paul leapt a foot in the air, his mouth falling open as little bits of fluff floated lazily in the air. Audrey released a breath she didn't know she was holding and aimed her wand again.

" _Reparo!_ "

The cotton zoomed back toward the couch as the cushion reformed itself, looking as if it hadn't been touched. Paul stared at the cushion and was silent for a long moment.

Without looking at her, he said, "Last week, your car… and you and Natalia appearing out of nowhere…"

"It's called Apparition," Audrey told him. "You sort of teleport yourself at will. You need a license for it and everything, like driving a car."

Paul didn't move. "How long have you been able to do this?"

"Always," Audrey shrugged. She felt lighter revealing this major part of herself to Paul, but she also felt nauseous. He still hadn't looked at her since she pulled out her wand.

"This is insane," Paul said, massaging his temples. "Magic… secret organizations…"

Audrey didn't know what to say so she kept her mouth shut and let him absorb what he had just witnessed. She remembered when Professor McGonagall arrived on her doorstep to tell her and her family about the Wizarding world. It was easy for her to believe in it then – she was eleven years old. It was more like McGonagall confirmed what she knew to be true. As an adult, she knew it was different. Even though he saw her magic with his own eyes, she wasn't sure he would understand. She was upending everything he thought he knew about the world.

When Paul finally met Audrey's gaze, her heart sank. There was a coldness in his eyes she had never seen before and it hurt that it was aimed toward her.

"What else can you do?" Paul asked. "Can you manipulate people?"

"What do you mean?" Audrey responded.

"Is there magic that can mess with someone's head? Make them see things that aren't there or forget things or feel a certain way?"

"Well, yes, but I wouldn't—"

"Have you ever used magic on me?"

"No, never," Audrey said firmly.

Paul shook his head. "I don't believe you."

Audrey was horrified. Paul stared at her as if she were some kind of monster. She never thought he was capable of that kind of hatred yet there it was—her stomach turned at the way his mouth contorted with disgust.

"I'm the same person I've always been," she pleaded. "You trusted me before, why can't you trust me now?"

"I guess I never knew you in the first place."

Paul's face reddened. The hate still twisted his mouth, but Audrey could tell he was hurt. It wasn't fair—she told him the truth yet the world was collapsing anyway. She opened her mouth, but no words came forward. Was there anything she could say to fix this?

"I can't do this," Paul said. "You lied to me."

"What did you want me to do?" Audrey shouted. "I couldn't exactly say, 'Nice to meet you, absolutely chuffed—by the way, I'm a witch,' could I?"

Paul flinched at the word "witch." He hung his head. "I don't know."

"Look this is who I am, it's who I've always been," Audrey said. "Look at me, please."

Paul met her gaze and quickly averted it again. "It's too much, Audrey."

Audrey was frustrated. She wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him. Was she really so different in his eyes just because she could do magic?

"You can affect someone's memory?" Paul said.

Audrey nodded slowly. She didn't want to scare him, if her magic was that much of a deterrence to him.

"Can you make me forget you?"

Audrey was silent. The question stabbed her heart like a dagger. She disgusted him so much that he wanted her out of his mind for good. Her hurt bubbled in her chest and it laced her words with venom.

"My magic is so disgusting to you," she said. "You want me to use it so that you can erase me from your memory forever."

"The magic is a lot to take in," Paul said. "But that's not what I can't stand the most. You lied to me this whole time. I feel like I never knew you at all. What we have, it's all a lie, isn't it?"

Audrey's throat tightened. "That's not true."

"I just wish you could have been honest with me," Paul said sadly. "Will you do it, please?"

Her first instinct was to scream at him. _No, you don't get to forget me, everything we had. We were good, we had good times. That doesn't just go away. That's not how this works. You have to take the bad and the good together. Deal with this like everyone else._ Yet she felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. She really hurt him by keeping this secret from him. She put that pain in his eyes. She didn't see any way she could have avoided it either—an inevitable hurt. Maybe he would be better off without her in his mind. Then another heavy sense of responsibility weighed in her thoughts: she had just outed the Wizarding world to a Muggle, one she wasn't sure she could trust anymore. Perhaps it was her duty to use a Memory Charm, erase the whole ordeal from Paul's mind. It would be easier that way.

"I won't erase everything." Audrey's voice was thick. "It would be suspicious if you couldn't remember me at all. We dated for a while, ended things amicably last month. Sometimes, it just doesn't work out, does it? We ran into each other shopping in town today and decided to catch up, for old times' sake."

Paul nodded solemnly. "Thank you."

"Turn around." Audrey's hand shook as she raised her wand.

Paul obeyed and stood stiffly. Audrey stared at his cropped auburn curls and inhaled deeply.

" _Obliviate._ "

She watched the tenseness leave his shoulders. When he turned to face her, she had hidden her wand behind her back and reassembled her face into a warm smile. He returned it, looking rather dazed.

"Apologies," he said. "Seem to have lost my train of thought."

"You were just leaving," she told him easily. "It was lovely chatting with you today. What are the odds, us running into each other?"

"Right, it's crazy," Paul said. He moved to the door. "Well, perhaps I'll see you around."

"Perhaps, indeed," Audrey managed. With a final wave, Paul was gone. The moment the door shut behind him, Audrey's knees buckled and she collapsed on the couch. She heard a door being thrown open, and Natalia was at her side in a heartbeat.

"Audrey," she said, taking her hand. Natalia's eyes searched her face. Her mouth was open, but uncharacteristically, she was speechless. It made Audrey uncomfortable. She tried to laugh.

"I knew it wouldn't go well, but that was pretty awful, wasn't it?"

"I'll make some tea," Jackie said. Audrey hadn't noticed her emerge into the room after Natalia. She watched her busy herself by the stove, shooting a quick spell at the kettle so that steam began to expel from the spout.

Suddenly, Audrey knew she had to leave. She already ruined her relationship with Paul that evening—she wasn't going to demolish Natalia's chance of one with Jackie. She wanted to give her the opportunity to salvage her date, if Audrey hadn't damaged it beyond repair. Audrey stood sharply.

"Well, I better get going," she announced. "Sorry to have interrupted your evening."

"Don't you dare," Natalia interjected. "You sit back down right now. You're spending the night with me."

"Don't be silly, I'm fine," Audrey told her. "I'll get out of your hair."

"Audrey, no—"

"Let me go, Nat," Audrey said. Natalia blanched. There was a darkness in Audrey's voice that frightened even her. She felt guilty about her harshness, so she added: "Please."

Natalia didn't answer. She bit her lip.

"Thank you," Audrey told her, hoping she was conveying all the love and gratitude she felt for her friend. She took the opportunity of Natalia's silence to Disapparate with a punctuating crack.


	16. Chapter 16: I Know It's Over

Audrey opened her eyes to see a neat suburban neighborhood. The sun had begun to set, and the streetlights shone lazily against the deep pink sky as trees with spindly branches formed an eerie silhouette. Two boys on bicycles appeared at the street corner. Audrey was lucky she Apparated when she did—if she had waited one more minute, the kids would have seen her appear seemingly from nowhere. A glance at a street sign informed her she was standing on Magnolia Crescent, one street away from where she intended to appear. Her little finger stung, and she examined her hand. The nail on her pinky was missing—splinched—left behind on Natalia's dingy carpet. She'd have to brew a potion to regrow it later. For now, she strode down the street toward Magnolia Road—home.

She shook her head as she walked, trying to clear it of the awful thoughts that crowded in her mind. Her break-up with Paul was jarring. They hurt each other deeply, but thanks to Audrey's Memory Charm, only Audrey had to deal with the consequences. Paul went home happily, as if nothing extraordinary happened that evening. Audrey was a mess—Apparating 800 yards away from her house and missing a body part. She knew Natalia would forgive her for her hasty exit, but she needed to be alone. She needed to be _home_.

Audrey unlocked her door and then shut it behind her, leaning against it heavily. Dumbledore warned her that Little Whinging wasn't safe. But surely word hadn't reached You-Know-Who that she was teaching at Hogwarts yet? She could hide undisturbed in her childhood home for one night. One night of solitude was all she needed. All the same, she left the lights off as she made her way to the kitchen in the security of darkness.

She imagined Molly had just about finished preparing dinner back at Grimmauld Place, but Audrey wasn't hungry. She grabbed a bottle of red wine from the kitchen cabinet, not bothering to find a glass. She removed the cork with a tap of her wand and headed to the living room. Taking a long swig from her bottle, she surveyed her vinyl collection and selected an old favorite to play on her stereo. The Smiths served as a major outlet for Audrey's angst-ridden teen years, and on this night, she wanted nothing more than to revert back to her youth, when her biggest problem was an unrequited crush on Roger Barrymore in her sixth year at Hogwarts. She placed the needle expertly on the record and sank to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest, as Morrissey's droning voice enveloped the room.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the sun had fully set and half of the wine bottle was gone when there was a pounding on her front door. Audrey froze. Her bag was on the other side of the room, and her wand was tucked inside it. She barely dared to breathe. If she remained as still as possible, maybe whoever stood on the other side of the door would think no one was home. She hoped Morrissey's wailing wouldn't betray her.

With a loud bang, her door flew open, and Audrey leapt toward her bag. She had just wrapped her fingers around her the base of her wand when she was face to face with a more slender wand. But she relaxed as its owner lowered it.

"Audrey," Tonks sighed in relief. Her eyes darted around the room. There was a furrow in her brow that seemed menacing, and Audrey remembered Tonks was one of the youngest Aurors ever hired by the Ministry of Magic for good reason – she was force to be reckoned with.

Remus emerged a moment later, stowing his wand in his robes. "The house is clear."

At his words, Tonks's face relaxed, and she hugged Audrey. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"You scared the shit out of me, barging in like that," Audrey said, still shaken.

"Well, you didn't answer when we knocked," Tonks shrugged. "We had to be ready for anything."

"What are you doing here?" Audrey said.

"Natalia told us what happened," Tonks said. "She was worried and wanted to make sure you got back to headquarters alright. She used the Floo network to call on us. Drove us all into a panic when you never showed up at Number Twelve, but Natalia figured you'd come here. I thought we were going to have to chain Sirius to his bed to stop him from coming to find you. He was really worked up. Anyway, I'm really sorry to hear about what happened with Paul."

Audrey felt her cheeks flush crimson. Her love life had become an issue of Order security. She was mortified to have caused such a scene and she cringed at the thought of Sirius being especially upset and nearly exposing himself to the public because of her.

"I didn't mean to worry everyone," she muttered.

"It's no problem," Tonks said. "We've found you now. Remus, you'd better send word back to headquarters. Put Sirius at ease."

Remus nodded and conjured a Patronus. Audrey wasn't surprised it took the shape of a wolf. She watched it sail into the night out of her front door, which still stood ajar.

"Now that that's done, we really should be leaving," Remus said.

"Must we?" Audrey was dismayed. All of this fuss and she couldn't stay in the one place she felt comfortable.

"Dumbledore says it's dangerous for you here," Tonks reiterated.

"You don't have to go back to Grimmauld Place, but we can't stay here," Remus told her.

"Where to, Audrey?" Tonks said brightly. "We're with you every step of the way. If you want us to be, that is."

Audrey turned off her stereo and looked at her half empty wine bottle on the floor. She wasn't quite ready to face the rest of the Order and the kids at Sirius's house, but she did appreciate Remus and Tonks's company, especially since they came all the way to Little Whinging on her behalf.

"You guys up for pints?"

"Always," Tonks grinned. Remus chuckled.

Moments later, the trio sat around a wooden table in the dimly lit Leaky Cauldron, a pint of beer in front of each of them. Between Tonks's bubblegum pink hair, Remus's haggard appearance, and Audrey's scrubs, they were garnering many strange looks from the other patrons of the tavern.

"Did Natalia tell you she came to guard duty with me yesterday?" Tonks said brightly.

"No, we haven't had a chance to catch up," Audrey admitted. She last chatted with her best friend only three days ago, but it felt like years had passed by. They certainly had a lot to discuss.

"Well, I'll let her fill you in on the details, but her training is going really well already," Tonks continued. "I have to tell you that much because she'd never admit it herself. She'll whine about how her accuracy is off or whatever, but that woman's got one of the quickest reaction times I've ever seen. She'll be a natural in the field."

Audrey couldn't help beaming in pride of her friend, despite the heaviness that remained in her chest. "I'll be sure to pass on your kind words."

Tonks snorted. "I hope she actually listens if the praise comes from you."

"I doubt it, but it's always worth a try."

"And here's another one who won't hear the slightest good word in his name," Tonks pointed a finger to Remus, whose lips tightened, but Audrey thought the corner of his mouth turned up slightly.

"You'll never find a more loyal, caring, forgiving friend," Tonks continued, "and the man's brilliant to boot. The best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Hogwarts has had in ten years."

"To be fair, I was following that complete wanker Gilderoy Lockhart," Remus smirked. "And Mad-Eye would have been a far better teacher than I could ever dream to be if he'd gotten the chance to hold the position himself."

"Unbelievable," Tonks said with a bemused smile. Her eyes twinkled as she leered at Remus beside her. "Don't you ever shut up and take a compliment?"

"I haven't yet, Dora," Remus smiled. "And I seem to remember someone being particularly squeamish when her mad mentor congratulated her on a brilliant capture during an Order meeting last month."

Tonks was quick to protest. Audrey brought her glass to her mouth and drank the last of her beer. The others' pints were nearly empty as well, so while Tonks was explaining the difference between graceful humility and sheer stubbornness, Audrey stood from the table.

"I'll get another round," she announced. Remus and Tonks nodded their thanks and continued their discussion.

Audrey ordered three pints from Tom at the bar and watched her friends as the drinks were poured. Tonks pounded the table with her fist as a fierce punctuation to some enthusiastic statement. Remus shrugged, leaning forward as he murmured a response, causing Tonks to throw her head back and laugh. Audrey remembered her mirthful cackle from late nights in the Hufflepuff common room at Hogwarts. She was so easy to get along with and so charming. And Remus noticed, she saw. His smile at her delight was genuine, as if bringing this woman joy brought him sincere gratification, as if he wanted nothing more than to make her laugh as often as he possibly could. When he spoke again, Tonks's eyes were so eager, drinking him in, like there was nothing more important to her in that moment than whatever he had to say.

Tears pricked at Audrey's eyes, and she stared down at the rickety wooden bar. _They're in love_ , she thought in amazement. Though her own heart was broken, she was surprised she felt no bitterness toward the couple. Tonks and Remus were wonderful people as individuals—they deserved each other. They deserved happiness and affection and devotion and love. She wasn't sure that they were fully aware of their own feelings, but Audrey knew she was rooting for them to make it. There was a darkness coming, and nothing but love would stop it.

She was grateful when Tom placed three frothy pints of beer in front of her to distract her from the sappy direction her thoughts had taken. She blinked away her tears, dropped coins on the bar, and whisked the glasses toward her table to rejoin Remus and Tonks.

As they finished their second drink, and Remus tried to hide a yawn, Audrey announced she was ready to return to Number Twelve.

"Of course, Audrey, whatever you want," Tonks said, touching her arm.

"Molly will have sent the kids to bed by now," Remus said, glancing at the darkened sky out of the smudged window. "You won't have too many people bothering you."

"And I'll jinx anyone who bothers you," Tonks said with a wink. "Say the word, and they'll be sprouting tentacles from their nose."

"I've seen her do that," Remus nodded. "It's pretty nasty."

They Apparated to Grimmauld Place and entered Number Twelve quietly. Audrey wanted to avoid as much attention as possible. The hall was dark and silent, but as they tiptoed past the kitchen, there was a flurry of movement.

"There you are, dear!" Molly squealed. She leaped from her chair and met Audrey in the hall, hugging her tightly around the middle so that she couldn't move her arms.

"Molly, how are you?" Audrey said lightly, trying to keep the scene casual. In truth, she was touched that she had been greeted with such enthusiasm from the kind woman.

"Just ducky," Molly beamed, finally releasing her. "You're safe and sound."

"Welcome back, Audrey," Arthur nodded from the kitchen doorframe. Audrey was flattered by their concern, but it was odd, as if she had returned from a year at war rather than an evening that consisted mainly of drinking alcohol.

"Audrey."

She hadn't heard him come down the stairs. Sirius crossed the hall in a few long strides and wrapped his arms around her. Audrey's breath caught in the back of her throat. She expected such an affectionate gesture from Molly, but Sirius caught her off guard. His embrace was warm and comforting, and she returned it, lifting her arms to his back and pulling him close. The fact that Sirius Black cared about her wellbeing ignited a small flame of thrill in her belly. But it was quickly doused by a fresh wave of guilt as she recalled the image Tonks painted of Sirius fighting to leave the house to find her, potentially exposing himself to the Ministry, dementors, or even You-Know-Who. She stiffened, and Sirius pulled away, his grey eyes searching hers.

"I'm glad you came back," Sirius said gravely, stepping back.

Audrey's brow furrowed. "Of course, I came back."

"We weren't sure if you, well, changed your mind," Arthur said. "About staying here or being in the Order..."

"No," Audrey said in surprise. "I didn't even consider it. I just… needed a moment."

"Of course, you did," Molly nodded sympathetically. "I'll just put the kettle on for tea, shall I?"

Audrey watched as a crowd formed at the door as Sirius, Remus, Tonks, and Arthur followed Molly into the kitchen. Being around so many people at that moment made her apprehensive, though she was starting to care for them as if they were her own family.

"I think I'm headed up to bed," Audrey told them, and five pairs of concerned eyes met hers. "Long day, you know."

She was met with chorus of sympathy and good nights, and she felt Sirius's eyes on her back as she mounted the stairs to her bedroom. She met Hermione and Ron as she reached the second floor. Hermione perched on the steps, and Ron leaned casually against the banister.

"…something we should be worried about?" Audrey heard Hermione whisper.

"I dunno," Ron responded softly. "I mean, it's not the first time it's happened, but it is different. He's speaking in Parseltongue again. Do you reckon we—"

"Hi, Audrey," Hermione interrupted, standing so sharply her foot slipped and she nearly stumbled down the stairs. Ron caught her arm and steadied her. His hand lingered on her sleeve a little longer than normal, but Hermione didn't seem to notice.

"Evening, you two," Audrey said. They were discussing something serious. Parseltongue was a dark technique. She was shocked the two students had even heard of such a thing. However, she was too drained to dwell on it for long and thought it prudent to pretend she hadn't heard a word of their conversation. As she moved down the hall toward her room, she felt a twinge as she considered that even the teenagers had found love. Or maybe she was reading too much into a touch of a robe. It had been a long day, indeed.


	17. Chapter 17: Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters

Audrey was starving the following morning, and there was a dull ache in her head. No food combined with a night of drinking can do some damage. She took a moment to appreciate the fact that she had no obligations—no job, no boyfriend, no meetings on her agenda. Though she regretted the loss of major aspects of her life, she relished that she was free to do whatever she liked. However, with all this newly found independence, she desired nothing more than to roll over in bed and snooze the rest of the day. Her growling stomach wouldn't let her sleep, so with a groan, she pulled a jumper over her tank top and shorts and headed downstairs.

To her relief, the kitchen was empty. At that late hour of the morning, Molly likely had the kids cleaning another dusty room, and though Sirius was surely roaming the house, she expected everyone else was at their jobs or working for the Order. She rummaged through Sirius's cupboards and prepared herself a coffee and porridge. As she ate, she couldn't help replaying the events of the previous day in her mind. She was fired, she was dumped, she erased herself from her ex's memory, and then… she was welcomed home. It was an odd feeling to be cared for. She had been on her own for four years since her mother died and was used to an empty house. She'd only been staying at Grimmauld Place for a few days, and its inhabitants treated her like family. That warm feeling trumped the more unfortunate events of the prior day and she bit her lip to avoid grinning like an idiot as she sat alone at the kitchen table.

But it bothered her that in her brief absence, everyone assumed she abandoned them—never to return as a member of the Order, resident at Number Twelve, or even as their friend. She told herself they just didn't know her very well, but surely they could trust her loyalty by now. Her mind swarmed with doubts about her role in the Order. She wasn't being trained in combat like Natalia—she wasn't even considered for guard duty in the Ministry. She was to be a Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts, with an unknown connection to the Order. Was she being kept safely out of the way where she could do the least damage? Dumbledore said some kind words to her a few days ago, but what little confidence he instilled was quickly evaporating. She was overcome with an urge to speak with him, to demand answers to the questions that burned inside her like acid. Owls were a risky form of communication, Audrey remembered. She would have to summon Dumbledore like the rest of the Order would—with a Patronus.

Audrey stood hesitantly, squaring her shoulders. Her shaky half-lesson on producing a Patronus was unsuccessful, yet a stubborn sense of determination led her to draw her wand and assume what she considered a powerful stance. Her previous happy memory consisted of Paul: if it didn't work when they were dating, it surely wouldn't prove successful following their break-up. She focused instead on her recent realization over breakfast—her growing sense of home at Number Twelve. With a deep breath, she said the incantation.

" _Expecto patronum!"_

Audrey felt power surge into her wand, though nothing appeared. A spark of hope jolted through her, and she repeated the spell.

" _Expecto patronum!"_

A tiny wisp of white mist emerged from the tip of her wand, fading to nothing as quickly as it had appeared.

"That was much better!"

Audrey yelped as she spun to face Remus, who stood beaming in the doorway in a casual yet notably shabby robe. Her face flushed, and she stuffed her wand back into the pocket of her jumper, as if she were caught red-handed stealing biscuits from a forbidden jar.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Remus said. "I was curious about how far our last lesson brought you. Evidently, it went well. Very impressive!"

"Thanks, I'm just looking for a distraction," Audrey explained. She avoided mentioning her bout of self-doubt that led to her desire to speak with Dumbledore.

"Patronus lessons would be a good outlet, surely," Remus nodded. "I'd offer to teach you more, but I'm being called away on Order business for the weekend. Will we continue next week when I return?"

"That would be brilliant, Remus, thank you," Audrey gushed. She was looking forward to mastering the Patronus Charm and becoming more of an asset to the Order, but she was relieved to prolong a potentially difficult magic lesson for a few days while she got her bearings.

Remus smiled and moved toward a bowl of fruit on the counter, picking out a clementine for himself. Before Audrey could take her seat at the table, Sirius entered the kitchen wearing his thin silk robe and pajama pants.

"Ah, Moony that was the last one!" Sirius groaned.

Remus shrugged and continued peeling the skin from the fruit. "Maybe if you were out of bed at a more reasonable hour this clementine could have been yours. As it is, you wait until the day's half over before gracing us with your presence. No offense to you, Audrey."

"None taken," Audrey said.

Sirius looked to Audrey as if seeing her for the first time. Audrey's chest tightened as his smile faded. A strong part of her wanted his soothing arms around her again, but the rest of her felt guilty for that desire. Was that regret in his eyes as he surveyed her from across the room?

"Morning, Audrey," he said simply, with a nod.

"Morning," Audrey responded. The distance between them was immense.

"Did you sleep well?" His voice was gruff and forced.

"Well enough," Audrey said, cringing internally at the formality of his tone. "You?"

Sirius nodded. "Well enough, sure."

Remus froze, his eyes flicking between Sirius and Audrey during the painful exchange. Finally, he sighed.

"I've just remembered I've got some packing to do before I leave. The clementine is all yours, Padfoot. Don't waste it."

He dropped the half-peeled clementine into Sirius's hands, cast them both a curious look, and left the room. Sirius stared down at the fruit determinedly, his mouth pressed into a hard line. Unable to stand the awkward tension that settled now that they were alone, Audrey gathered her empty bowl and mug and took them to the sink.

"I'll leave you to it then," Audrey said to Sirius as she moved toward the door.

"Wait," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "Do you mind sitting down for a minute?"

Audrey nodded and took a seat at the table. Sirius sat opposite from her and resumed peeling the clementine. She watched him for a moment, and then Sirius finally spoke.

"I'm sorry about what happened with Paul. That's a horrible way to end things. Do you want some of this?"

"Yes, please," Audrey said. Sirius handed her a slice of the clementine, and she bit into it. She shrugged as nonchalantly as she could while she chewed. "It was inevitable, I think. We were never meant to be."

"Even so, that doesn't mean it doesn't suck," Sirius said. He raised an eyebrow at her, and they shared a smirk at his use of Muggle slang. He popped a bit of clementine into his mouth. "It's unfair, anyway, that he gets to carry on blissfully ignorant while you're hurting for the both of you."

"That's not usually how it goes, I suppose," Audrey said in what she hoped was a casual tone.

"No, it's mental," Sirius continued. "You're a good person—you deserve better than that."

He offered her another piece of the clementine, and she accepted. They ate in silence for a moment, and then Sirius swallowed with a sigh.

"I want to tell you something," Sirius said gravely. "Something I've been meaning to tell you for a while."

"Let me guess: You've been mad for Remus for years and you're trying to find the right way to confess your true feelings." Audrey couldn't resist the opportunity for a smart retort.

Sirius let out a barking laugh. "No, still haven't managed to build up the confidence for that just yet. But in all seriousness… Audrey, really! Ah, I'm usually so careful with my word choice."

Audrey burst into a fit of giggles at Sirius's unintentional pun with his own name. After they subsided, she saw Sirius surveying her with interest as she wiped her streaming eyes.

"Are you finished? Because I'm trying to tell you about what happened in 1981 that got me sent to Azkaban."

"Oh," Audrey sat up straight. She hadn't forgotten the notoriety surrounding Sirius Black, but with the significant amount of life-changing events occurring in the past week, the matter was banished to the background of her mind. Now that she was about to learn a major, likely traumatic part of Sirius's life, she was nervous though admittedly curious.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to know what happened that day?"

"Only if you want me to," Audrey ventured, not wishing to sound too eager.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't want to tell you. Anyway, what have you heard in the past?"

"Well, the same as most of the Wizarding community, I suppose," Audrey explained. "The day after You-Know-Who vanished after the death of Lily and James Potter, you, one of his infamous supporters, were so distraught that you wrecked magical mayhem in broad daylight, killing twelve Muggles and one wizard."

"That's what the _Prophet_ reported."

"Is it far off?"

"Not as much as you might believe," Sirius sighed. "When Lily and James died, I was distraught alright. Not because I mourned Voldemort, but because James and Lily were my friends. And I knew why they died. Their home in Godric's Hollow was protected by a Fidelius Charm, just as my house is now. Originally, I was to be their secret keeper. No one could reach that house unless I told them about it. But at the last minute, I convinced them to make Peter Pettigrew their secret keeper. I would have been too obvious. I had no idea I was signing their death warrant."

Sirius swallowed as a shadow passed over his eyes. "Those of us in the Order back then knew there was a spy among us, passing information to Voldemort, but we didn't know who it was. Wormtail showed his true colors the night of Lily and James's murder. I was furious and enormously guilty. They were dead because of my suggestion, after all. So I confronted Wormtail—in broad daylight, as the _Prophet_ reported—and I can't say I didn't have the intent of killing him then and there."

Audrey's mouth was dry. She had never seen Sirius like this before—his voice was heavy with grief and guilt over his friends' deaths, but his eyes flashed dangerously. She didn't doubt the sincerity of his murderous intent that day.

"Then the rat has the gall to insist he was innocent and accuse me of treachery to the Potters," Sirius sneered. "This may come as a shock to you, but I was a bit of a hothead in my youth. Could get a bit of a temper when instigated. And Wormtail knew it—we had been friends for ten years. Just when it seemed I couldn't hold back anymore, he beat me to the punch. There was an enormous explosion, threw me backwards about twenty meters and killed all those people. Magical law enforcement told me all they found of Wormtail was a severed finger, but I knew he wasn't dead. I knew his secret. The bastard was an Animagus and transformed himself into a rat to make his escape. Unbelievable."

Sirius scoffed and ran an unsteady hand through his hair. Audrey remembered the detail that haunted her the most.

"And you laughed," she said. "They dragged you away laughing."

Sirius pressed his lips into a hard line. "I did. They labeled me a madman after that. I just couldn't believe that little Peter Pettigrew had used me, outfoxed us all, in fact. He was always useless in school. He would have been bullied to bits if we hadn't looked out for him. And in the end, he scampered away from us who would have died for him to hide behind more powerful friends."

Audrey didn't doubt the verity of his story at all. She felt a tremendous sadness for Sirius and his suffering. He lost two best friends in one day: one due to a deadly betrayal and one from a fatal blow he thought he himself contributed to. She fought the urge to reach for his hand across the table and instead asked a dangerous question.

"Do you regret not killing Peter Pettigrew?"

Sirius's grey eyes lifted to meet hers, and the sharp venom that reflected back to her answered her question.

"It's one of the reasons I escaped Azkaban," Sirius admitted. "I knew I wasn't guilty, so the dementors didn't affect me as much as the other prisoners. I saw him in a photo the _Prophet_ —I knew I could find him. I had this purpose that propelled me to escape. And I did find him. He was Ron's rat, the Weasley family pet for twelve years. And I met with Moony who understood everything. We were prepared to end him, avenge James and Lily once and for all, together. But Harry stopped us."

"Harry was there?" Audrey gasped.

"Harry, Ron, and Hermione," Sirius nodded. "Snape as well, though he was unconscious. That wasn't my doing, despite how much I wish it was. Harry told us James wouldn't have wanted us to become murderers. So we showed him mercy. Well, he took that mercy and skirted off into the night, abandoning us once again. If I'd known he would hurt Harry in order to bring his master Voldemort back to life…"

"Hurt Harry?" Audrey exclaimed. Rage seared in her chest. This horrible excuse for a man had done so much damage to so many good people and then returned to harm Harry Potter? She had a protective fondness for the boy and she found herself wishing—to her surprise—that Sirius did the crime he was convicted of. She admired Harry all the more for having the strength to show mercy to the man who was responsible for his parents' deaths when she wished him dead just hearing about him.

"It was old, complicated magic that gave Voldemort a living body once again," Sirius said. "It involved the blood of an enemy, which for someone like Voldemort could have been anyone. But the egomaniacal bastard wanted the blood of the one who was prophesied to ruin him, the one who tore him from his body in the first place."

You-Know-Who was a walking, breathing, living creature again. Audrey vividly remembered the horrifying mist of him that she encountered at St. Mungo's and dreaded ever seeing those red, snakelike eyes blinking from an actual human skull. She shuddered at the image, and Sirius noticed. The darkness left his eyes, and he frowned at her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," Audrey said. She searched for the right words. "I'm really sorry this happened to you. It's completely unfair. Your entire life was stolen from you because of that awful excuse for a man. That coward has a heap of reckoning coming for him. He's very lucky he's still breathing—I imagine it won't be for much longer."

Audrey's violent outburst took her by surprise. Sirius let out a bark-like laugh and eyed her curiously.

"I've never seen this bloodthirsty side of you, Audrey," he said. "Maybe I'm not such a good influence on you, after all."

"Who says you have any influence on me?" Audrey challenged.

Sirius grinned, and Audrey mentally kicked herself for the double entendre of her words. She kept her mouth shut, refusing to acknowledge that his cheeky smile was having a major influence indeed on her ability to maintain a steady heartbeat and continue breathing regularly.

At that moment there was a pounding on the front door. Sirius broke away from Audrey's gaze and made his way to the hall. The locks clicked, and seconds later, Natalia burst into the kitchen. She was short of breath, and her glasses were askew.

"We need to talk," she said, jabbing a finger toward Audrey.

As Natalia sat across from Audrey, where Sirius had been just moments before, Audrey wasn't sure if she wanted to slap Natalia or kiss her for interrupting their conversation. She watched Sirius pass by the doorway with a wink before he headed upstairs, and then she looked into the tired brown eyes of her best friend.


	18. Chapter 18: Gold Dust Woman

Natalia leaned back in her chair at Sirius's table and made a tutting sound. "You don't look nearly as bad as I thought you would."

"I appreciate that," Audrey said, failing to suppress a grin. "I haven't slept this well since I started nursing school."

"Well, you haven't got insane hospital shifts to worry about anymore," Natalia nodded. "Sleep definitely counts as a silver lining."

"I'll take what I can get. You, on the other hand, look like shit."

Natalia gasped. "How dare you! I've been up all hours of the night worrying about you!" Her sardonic tone softened when she saw Audrey's face fall with guilt. "I'm fully kidding. Tonks told me the lot of you got hammered and turned in early. Fair play to you. I had someone else keeping me occupied last night."

"Jackie? She stayed the night?" Audrey perked up, relieved she hadn't ruined their date after all.

"Don't get excited, we kept it pretty tame," Natalia smirked. "You didn't chase her away, if that's what you were worried about. She told me it's the most interesting date she's had in years. She's a sweet girl, but she's got a darker side to her that lives for drama, gossip, and excitement."

Audrey laughed. "Not unlike someone else I know."

Natalia bit her lip. "It does seem like a good match, doesn't it? I'm seeing her again tomorrow night. I'm genuinely looking forward to it too. You know I usually dread the second date—so much more boring."

"I'm absolutely thrilled for you, Nat," Audrey beamed at her friend. Natalia was a notorious serial dater, and the prospect of seeing her settling down was exciting.

"But, listen, I overheard more than just your break-up and about you getting fired from the hospital yesterday," Natalia continued. "Have you really taken the job at Hogwarts?"

"Yes." There was a hitch in Audrey's voice. Natalia noticed, her eyebrows rising.

"You don't seem very enthusiastic about it."

Audrey sighed and explained what Dumbledore told her about the position and its relation to the Order, not that there was much to tell. The idea of returning to Hogwarts was appealing, but the hidden objectives continued to trouble her.

"That's enormously frustrating," Natalia agreed once Audrey finished. "But I'd say to trust Dumbledore. Everyone in the Order has him on this pedestal of high authority—you know it's for good reason. He's the greatest wizard of the century, is he not? All will be revealed in time, surely."

"You're right," Audrey said, resting her chin on her fist. "But it is annoying, especially considering how quickly this is all happening. You know the term at Hogwarts starts in two and a half weeks?"

"Merlin's beard, already! You're a lucky girl, though, getting to go back to Hogwarts. I'd love to roam the corridors again. Do you remember sneaking into the kitchens?"

"Of course! How could I forget? The house elves were always so generous with snacks."

"I'm sure they still are. It's only been—what—six years?"

"Nat, I'm a professor now. What will that look like, an adult lurking around the kitchens for treats in the middle of the night?"

"I'm sure all the professors do it. You should ask Snape at the next Order meeting. I'm sure he's got loads of helpful advice for you."

"Don't make me laugh, darling," Audrey snorted. "Oh, God, do I call him Severus now? He's my peer after all."

"Ah, that's so weird!" Natalia squealed. "And on that strange note, I must be off. Got to get to the office."

"Oh, I didn't notice the time. It's after noon, aren't you running a bit behind schedule?"

Natalia shrugged. "They're used to me by now. Ta-ta, dear, please let me know if you need anything. Tea, alcohol, a hug—anything."

"I'll take the hug," Audrey grinned. She stood and embraced her friend. "By the way, Tonks says you're doing extremely well with your Order training."

"She's grossly overstating, I can assure you," Natalia said, breaking away. She was trying to stifle her smile. "Anyway, I'll come by this weekend."

"You better," Audrey said as she watched her friend leave. Once the door was closed and the locks clicked back into place, Audrey mounted the stairs to change out of her pajamas. She may as well pretend to be productive, even if she had nothing planned. In the first floor hallway, she passed Fred, George, and Sirius chatting idly.

"How's the cleaning going today, lads?" Audrey greeted them. "Where are you working? I'll help."

"You're timing is extraordinarily convenient," Sirius said with a sarcastic grin.

"We've just finished the drawing room upstairs," Fred explained. "So Mum's giving us the rest of the afternoon off."

"We'll pass on your good intent to join us, whether it was genuine or not," George grinned.

"Aren't you boys sweet," Audrey smiled. "And you'll be using your free time wisely, I'm sure."

Sirius laughed. "You sound like a professor already."

"Brilliant," Audrey grinned. "The halls of Hogwarts better watch out for the likes of me."

Audrey left them in the hall and headed toward her room. She knew she hardly had the standing of a professor yet. Hell, she still felt like a kid herself. The feeling didn't fade as she slipped into jeans and a T-shirt—not the outfit of an authority figure responsible for the education of hundreds of children. She'd have to venture to Diagon Alley and actually purchase robes from Madam Malkin. She needed to be professional in this new position—she wouldn't let Dumbledore or the rest of the Order down, at least in that aspect.

Audrey bit her lip nervously and rummaged through her trunk, finally removing parchment, ink, and a quill. Writing in this way would take some getting used to, she thought, thinking of the notebooks and pens she had in her home at Magnolia Road. In her untidy handwriting, she scrawled: _Ideas for Muggles Studies lessons._ The three years she took the course in Hogwarts her Hogwarts days seemed to have happened centuries ago, but she pictured her professor clearly in her mind. Professor Higgins was a portly man with a shiny nose and an insensibly kind demeanor. His classes tended to be dry, despite his earnestness, though the fact that she was Muggle-born may have contributed to her boredom—she already knew about electricity, clocks, and automobiles. She began listing several topics anyway.

Her brainstorming session continued into the following day. Audrey wasn't used to being idle, so she poured her impressive work ethic into these preparations for her new job. Her scribbles on the parchment appeared manic and crazed, but Audrey knew there was a method to the madness on those pages. She jumped, shaken back to reality, when there was a knock at her door. The door opened a crack, and Ginny poked her head inside the room.

"Mum wants you to know that lunch is ready downstairs," she said. "I can bring it up to you here if you like. It's just sandwiches."

"I'll be down in a moment, Ginny, thanks very much," Audrey responded.

"What are you working on?" Ginny asked, venturing into the room.

"I'm planning Muggle Studies lessons," Audrey admitted.

"Excellent!" Ginny exclaimed. "So it is true, you're going to be the new Muggle Studies professor. I'll be in your class this year."

"Oh, grand!" Audrey said. She was relieved she'd have a familiar face in one of her classes. "Do you mind telling me what you studied last year? I wasn't told anything about the course, so I've been planning from scratch."

"Not at all. We spent a lot of time on electricity. The subject's a bit difficult to wrap your head around, honestly. Then apparently, Muggles have just developed something called the Internet, which I don't understand at all, but Professor Burbage said that's something we would study at N.E.W.T. level. Why did Professor Burbage leave Hogwarts?"

"I wish I knew," Audrey said as casually as she could. "That's enormously helpful. I remember when I was in school we spent a lot of time on electricity as well. It got to be so boring."

Ginny nodded but seemed hesitant to make any comment. Audrey smiled reassuringly. "My goal is to add a little fun to the electricity unit this year at the very least. No one else need suffer just because we did."

"Ah, Audrey, you should make the young ones pay the price just like everyone else," Ginny grinned. "Oops, am I meant to call you Professor Callahan now?"

Audrey snorted. She had never been addressed so formally in her life but she was going to have to get used to it. "Why don't we wait until we get to Hogwarts for that?"

She followed Ginny to the kitchen and was greeted by Molly and the rest of the teenagers. Ginny took a place beside Hermione and beckoned for Audrey to sit across from her.

"Sirius is upstairs with Buckbeak," Molly said to Audrey. She cast Audrey a knowing look that nearly left Audrey frozen with her mouth agape like a petrified banshee. Was her fondness for Sirius obvious? Did Molly think she was interested in him romantically? She wanted to stammer that she couldn't care less where Sirius was and that Molly was mistaken in whatever she thought she observed between them. Instead, she slid into the chair Ginny gestured to and grabbed a sandwich from the plate.

At the other end of the table, Fred and George were shoveling food into their mouths at incredible speeds, such that Audrey had barely swallowed her first bite when the twins stood to clear their dishes.

"Where are you two off in such a hurry?" Molly asked suspiciously.

"Just writing a letter to Lee," George said easily. "Before you set us back to work for the afternoon."

"You always think the worst of us," Fred told his mother, shaking his head.

"Fine, off you go then," Molly said, throwing her hands in the air. The twins nearly sprinted out of the kitchen. To their backs, she said, "If I don't assume the worst, who will?" She chuckled to herself as she bit into her sandwich.

"Audrey really is going to be the new Muggle Studies professor," Ginny announced to those remaining at the table.

"I took that my third year," Hermione said, her eyes widening enthusiastically. "If only my schedule would have allowed for me to continue studying it. It really was fascinating to analyze Muggle culture from a Wizarding perspective. Wouldn't you agree, Audrey?"

"I like to think so," Audrey smiled. "It's what kept me in the class for three years when I was in school, even though I'm Muggle-born. What are you taking instead?"

"Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures, and Arithmancy," Hermione responded. "Harry and Ron are taking Care of Magical Creatures and Divination."

Audrey held back a laugh at the disdain in Hermione's voice when she mentioned "Divination." Instead, she said, "All worthy pursuits. I'll miss having you lot in my classes, but I'll see you all in the corridors, surely."

"You'll have me," Ginny assured her. "I'm worth a dozen of them… and at least three dozen when it comes to Ron."

"Oi!" Ron shouted, and Harry snorted into his plate.

"Honestly, Ginny, there is no need for that," Molly told her daughter. She turned to Audrey with a sigh. "Have you considered the book list for the coming year? I don't mean to pressure you at all, dear, but the Hogwarts letters should be coming next week. Any chance you'll use the same books as last year?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Audrey said, her heart sinking. Her plans hadn't included textbooks thus far, but she pretended to be more organized and prepared than she was for the sake of her appearance as a professor in front of future students.

Molly looked relieved. "Excellent, one less thing to worry about when we do our shopping in Diagon Alley."

Audrey finished her sandwich on a queasy note and excused herself to return to her lesson plans in her bedroom. She penned a letter to Professor McGonagall inquiring about last year's Muggle Studies textbooks. She figured a letter would suffice if the business was about Hogwarts and had nothing to do with the Order. She also didn't want to bother Dumbledore—as both Headmaster of Hogwarts and the founder and leader of the Order of the Phoenix, he had bigger things to worry about than the technicalities of Audrey's new job as the Muggle Studies professor. But she hadn't seen Professor McGonagall since her Hogwarts days—she hoped she wouldn't mind answering Audrey's questions.

As stealthily as she could, she exited to Number Twelve with her letter in hand. Once she was on the street and noted that no one was in sight, she Apparated to Diagon Alley and headed for the Owlery. Once her letter was trusted to a stout tawny owl, she made her way to Flourish and Blotts to examine their selection of Muggle Studies books. She found a dusty copy of _Muggles and their Developments_ , the textbook she used back in her Hogwarts days, but its location in the deserted back end of the shop seemed to indicate that the book was no longer used by today's students. She guessed the most likely candidate to be used by current students was _Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles_ , but she couldn't be sure until she received Professor McGonagall's confirmation. Nonetheless, Audrey purchased seven separate books on the topic of Muggle Studies to peruse as she continued to plan her lessons. She wanted to leave no potential topic uncovered.

She also stopped into Madam Malkin's robe shop and finally purchased professional black robes that suited her new role as a professor. She also purchased a set of deep purple dress robes, should she ever need to attend a formal engagement. One must always be prepared. As the hour grew later in the evening, she headed to the Leaky Cauldron for a quick dinner. She also bought a bottle of red wine from Tom, the owner, who seemed delighted with her patronage. The pub was having a relatively slow night, despite the fact it was Friday. At last, packages in tow, she Apparated back to Grimmauld Place. As she approached the house, the sun had sunk low over the horizon.

Molly was alone in the kitchen when Audrey let herself into the house.

"You're just in time," Molly called to her. "Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. I was just about to call the kids to set the table."

"Sorry, Molly, I've already eaten," Audrey said. "I've got loads of prep work to do for the year's lessons yet."

"Oh, well, if you're sure…" Molly looked crestfallen. Audrey gave her what she hoped was a reassuring hug.

"Thanks for everything, Molly, really," Audrey said. "You're incredible, you know that?"

"Come now, don't be silly," Molly said, a little pink in the face. She gave Audrey one last smile and returned to the stove.

Audrey climbed the stairs to her room, and after hanging her new robes properly in the wardrobe, she set herself to reading her new books, jotting down hasty notes on parchment as she went. She had no idea how much time had passed when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," she called. Sirius entered and paused in the doorway, taking in the sight of Audrey looking harried sat on her bed, surrounded by dozens of pages of parchment and several open books that spread over her comforter.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You doing alright in here?"

"Yes," Audrey sighed. "There's just a lot to plan for, you know? I'm not really an expert in this field like most professors, but I want to be for the sake of my students. Just have a lot of catching up to do."

Sirius smiled. "And that's why you're going to do so well at Hogwarts. You actually care about what you're doing and about your students—and you're not even there yet."

"We'll see," Audrey said with a smirk. It was nice to receive Sirius's praise, though she wasn't sure it was entirely deserved yet.

Sirius pulled a bottle of red wine from behind his back. "Could you use a break?"

Audrey laughed and reached for the bottle she bought from Tom that evening. "I was just thinking I could. By all means, come in and join me."

Sirius grinned and shut the door behind him.


	19. Chapter 19: Fade Into You

Audrey clambered out of bed and sat on the floor, her back leaning against the bottom of the bed. As she uncorked her wine bottle with a tap of her wand, Sirius lowered himself beside her and did the same. She took a swig of wine and sighed, closing her eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" Sirius said, watching her closely.

"Working on not thinking about anything," Audrey said. "I'm taking a break, after all."

"Fair enough," Sirius chuckled, drinking from his own bottle. "Merlin knows you deserve it. It's been a long week."

"And a half," Audrey nodded. "You know we've only known each other for nine days?"

"It feels like you've been living here for months," Sirius laughed, and then he added quickly, "in a good way."

"I know," Audrey said gravely. "It's incredible how fast life can move. Everything can change in a heartbeat, forever altered, no going back, the whole bit."

She met Sirius's steady gaze and knew he understood even more than she did herself. She thought of what he told her about Peter Pettigrew and the Potters, and her heart ached. She drank a few more gulps of wine, and Sirius followed suit.

"I knew you weren't a murderer the moment I saw you," Audrey said finally.

"Oh, really?" Sirius scoffed. "I seem to remember both you and Natalia screaming your lungs out when you saw I was awake."

"Come on, an escaped convict had just regained consciousness on my couch," Audrey said. "No, I'm referring to directly after that, fully looking at you for the first time. In your eyes I could tell you weren't a psychopath. You were just… sad."

"Hmm, in pain, more likely." Sirius brought a hand to his ribcage. He furrowed his brows and took a drink before responding. "What exactly is a psychopathic murderer meant to look like? How many have you run into?"

Audrey inhaled sharply as the terrifying image of You-Know-Who at St. Mungo's formed in her mind's eye. She shook her head. "He wouldn't look like you."

Sirius eyed her suspiciously and then sighed. "You'd be the first to ever assume the best of me."

"I wouldn't go that far. If I did, I'd have trusted you to seek Harry on your own."

"Yet you let me in your car and accompanied me not only to the Dursleys' but to my home here in London."

"And then agreed to live with you having only met you twice."

"All while knowing I was a convicted murderer, whether guilty or not," Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "Something must be wrong with your head, love."

"Been wondering about that lately," Audrey muttered. A warm feeling spread through her body at Sirius's affectionate nickname. She told herself it was the booze taking effect—the bottle was nearly half empty already.

Sirius frowned. "I may not have known you long, and there may be a great deal I don't know about you, but, Audrey, I know for a fact you're a lovely girl. You're strong, selfless, incredibly brave, hilarious—you're spectacular. Don't you ever think you're any less."

The sincerity in Sirius's voice touched her. Audrey was more flattered than when Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the century, had commended her on her morality and loyalty. She doubted Paul ever said such kind words about her in such a determined way. Audrey grinned. "You should drink wine more often. It brings out your sappy side."

Sirius smirked. "I don't usually drink wine. I just know you do. Thought we'd be sharing the bottle, but it turns out you were well-prepared." He nodded toward her half-empty bottle.

"When it comes to wine, I'm always prepared. Natalia can back me up on that."

"She's a good friend that one. You're very lucky."

"That I am," Audrey agreed. "But so are you. Remus is wonderful. Everyone in the Order is incredible, really. It's hard to find decent people these days, yet here they all are under your roof."

Sirius gave a small smile. His eyes seemed glazed, as if he were getting lost in a memory. Audrey guessed where his mind had taken him.

"Will you tell me about James? And Lily?"

Sirius's smile broadened. "You wouldn't find two kinder, more genuine people on the planet. And they were so in love. Not at first, mind. James loved Lily since our first year at Hogwarts. Lily took some convincing—or rather, James had some growing up to do. He was a cocky prat for years, but once he settled down seventh year, it had never been clearer that two people should be together. James looked just like Harry, but Harry's eyes are his mother's, no doubt about it. She had long red hair, and she was so smart. The brightest witch in our year, by far. She didn't have time for an arrogant Quidditch star like James, but then they were Head Boy and Girl together. Couldn't keep them apart after that. They brought out the best in each other, the best in anyone they came in contact with, really."

As Sirius chatted idly about his friends, his hand found Audrey's thigh. He began rubbing casual circles over her jeans with his thumb. The gesture was so natural that she didn't even notice at first. His touch was soothing, and she sighed with satisfaction as she watched Sirius's animated face. Eventually, he stopped talking, and his grey eyes found hers. He retracted his hand from her leg sharply, closing it in a fist in his lap, as if he'd only just realized what he was doing. He dropped his gaze to her T-shirt.

"What's Mazzy Star?" he said.

"A Muggle band. I showed them to Natalia, and she said their music sounded like a dream."

Sirius nodded. Audrey bit her lip. "Do you want to listen to them?"

Sirius grinned. "I do."

Audrey stood and noticed the alcohol had left her prominently tipsy. With difficulty she made it to her wardrobe without stumbling and fetched her cassette player. She switched her Mazzy Star tape into the machine and unplugged her headphones. When she returned to Sirius, she pressed play, and they were greeted with sleepy guitars and Hope Sandoval's light, melodic voice.

"Hmm, this is nice," Sirius said. "I can see exactly what Natalia meant. It's peaceful."

He draped his arm around Audrey's shoulders, and she nestled closer to him, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Between the serene music, the languor of the alcohol, and the comfortable weight of Sirius's arm, she could have sat on her bedroom floor for hours.

"I've never seen one of those before," Sirius pointed at the mechanism in Audrey's lap. "How does that work?"

"It's a cassette player," she told him. "See the tape moving and looping on the other side of the square as the music plays? The music is recorded using electromagnetic signals. This machine reads those signals and converts them into the sound we're hearing now."

"Forgive me if I sound like Arthur Weasley, but that's fascinating," Sirius said, watching her. "I've seen record players before, but this a new level of Muggle technology. You should teach your students this kind of thing."

"I'll think on that," Audrey mused. "But not now. I'm supposed to be taking a break."

"My apologies," Sirius smirked. "I'll promptly change the subject. Tell me something about you."

"What about me?"

"I don't know – did you have any pets growing up?"

"No," Audrey groaned. "But I always wanted a cat. My parents would never allow it."

"A cat?" Sirius feigned disgust. "Should have known you'd be a cat person."

"You're a bit biased, aren't you? Are you one of those dogs that chase cats around the alleyways?"

"What do you think?" Sirius laughed. "No, I quite like cats, really. Have you run into Hermione's cat, Crookshanks? I think he's part Kneazle as well. Clever creature, that one."

"I haven't!" Audrey said with delight. "I'd love to meet him though. Your house is so massive that there's a lot I haven't seen. Kreacher, for instance. Are you sure you even have a house elf?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "He's around, unfortunately. Had the displeasure of running into him just yesterday. He's always rummaging around the deserted rooms, collecting family heirlooms before I can throw them out."

"You toss family heirlooms?" Audrey asked in bewilderment.

Sirius shrugged. "They're of no use to me, just taking up space. I'm much happier to be rid of them anyway. And it warms my heart to know how much I'd be upsetting dear old mum by doing so."

"Always the family rebel."

"Even with no family left to rebel against, I can find a way."

Audrey looked up at him. He was so close to her, she could see faint stubble on his cheek. His eyes met hers, and he searched her face. Finally he frowned.

"How did this conversation turn to me? I was trying to find out more about you."

Audrey snorted and put her head on his shoulder again. "Your ego can't be stopped by anyone."

Sirius laughed and shook his head. "I'm not taking the bait, Callahan. It's your turn. Tell me about your family."

"Fine," Audrey sighed. "Well, I'm Muggle-born, as you know. Grew up in my house in Little Whinging. My father left when I was twelve. No idea what happened to him. My mother died just a few years ago."

"Hence why you returned to the Muggle world," Sirius offered.

"Right," Audrey said thickly, fighting to erase the image of You-Know-Who that sprang into her mind. "And then I've got an older brother, a Muggle, who lives in Dublin now as an accountant."

"A what?"

"He keeps track of money for businesses."

"Do you see your brother much?"

"No," Audrey said. "Last I saw Liam was Mum's funeral actually."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject," Sirius said.

"It's alright, there's no bad blood between us or anything," Audrey explained. "We just… fell out of touch."

She didn't feel like elaborating, and Sirius didn't ask her to. She hadn't thought about Liam in months and felt a bitter regret rise in her like bile. She didn't mind opening up to Sirius but she had made difficult choices years ago that she was not in the mood to dwell on. Instead, she focused on the way Sirius's fingers found their way into her hair and he stroked her head absently. Audrey closed her eyes.

"You alright, love?"

Audrey's eyes snapped open. "What do you mean?"

"I think you fell asleep on me there," Sirius laughed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Audrey was disoriented. She sat up and looked around the room. How much time had passed?

"Don't worry about it," Sirius said. "Though I think you won't be doing any more planning for your classes this evening, as much as I would love to see the ideas you'd come up with under the effects of wine."

Sirius stood and offered her a hand to help her up. "I'll let you get to bed."

"Right," Audrey replied, still frazzled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She sat on the edge of her bed and rubbed a hand over her face. Sirius hesitated at the door and gave her a curious look. Finally he shook his head.

"Night, Audrey." He pulled the door closed as he stepped into the hall.

Once again, Audrey slept until nearly lunchtime. She hated the bad habit of oversleeping that she fell into so easily, but wasn't quite motivated enough to take action on breaking it just yet. She was relieved she wasn't hung over from the wine the previous night. She sat up and found herself surrounding by parchment – she left her notes spread on her blanket, not bothering to move them as she climbed into bed. Audrey lay back on her pillow with a groan. She could still feel Sirius's touch – on her thigh, across her shoulders, in her hair. She could scarcely believe it had happened and wasn't an alcohol-fueled dream. She wanted more.

Who was she kidding anymore? She had a crush on Sirius Black.

Audrey moaned and got out of bed to dress, nearly ripping the jumper she pulled over her head so forcefully. She was furious with herself for developing feelings at a time like this. She was in such a transition in her life – a break-up, getting fired, getting hired, becoming a part of some sort of rebel alliance – and here she was getting attached to a man. She didn't want to think about it anymore. She worked herself into such a state that she nearly ran down Hermione as Audrey stormed into the hallway.

"So sorry, dear, I was distracted," Audrey told her.

"I was just coming to fetch you, actually," Hermione said unfazed. "An owl came for you. It's been here since this morning. It's not a particularly fussy owl or anything, it's just perched in the kitchen waiting, but I wasn't sure if you were expecting anything urgent."

"Oh, right," Audrey ran a hand through her hair. She could feel it was in disarray from a long night's sleep. "I'll grab that now, Hermione. I appreciate it."

Hermione nodded and continued on her way as Audrey headed for the kitchen. A handsome brown owl sat patiently by the window when she arrived. It seemed to recognize her and stuck its leg out toward her. She took the rolled up parchment that was tied there, and the owl took its cue to soar out of the window.

Audrey sighed and read the note, a response from Professor McGonagall:

Audrey,

Last year's book for Muggle Studies was _Home Life and Social Habits of British Muggles_ , but you are free to select an alternative book for your course if you so choose. The usual urgency for textbook selection does not apply at the moment as I will explain to you later. I was already planning to stop by Saturday afternoon, so I will speak more with you on the subject then. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Minerva McGonagall

Audrey yelped, stowed the letter in her pocket, and sprinted out of the kitchen and up the stairs. She nearly collided with Hermione again.

"Is everything alright?" Hermione said wide-eyed.

"Absolutely," Audrey said breathing heavily and she headed to her room, gathering her notes together and preparing for a shower.

No need to panic, Audrey told herself, Professor McGonagall will probably be here in any minute now, no big deal at all.


	20. Chapter 20: Higher Ground

Finally showered and dressed in her professional best, Audrey assembled her notes into a neat stack and made her way to the ground floor. As she reached the first-floor balcony, she ran into the Hogwarts crew crowded around an object. It was connected to a wire that ran down the banister and hung nearly to the floor in the foyer with what looked like an ear at its end. At the sight of Audrey, the kids fell silent, moving together to hide their device and staring at her wide-eyed.

Audrey recognized what could only be some kind of listening device that Fred and George invented. She was once again impressed with the boys' clever invention. Though she was technically a member of the Order who should be concerned about security, and a Hogwarts professor who should be worried about information that could be dangerous to her future students, she couldn't stifle a smile. She gave the kids a wink and continued down the stairs and into the kitchen, not giving the conspicuous floating ear another glance.

Sirius, Molly, and Arthur sat at the kitchen table when she entered. Molly looked incredibly worried, and Arthur had a comforting hand over hers. Sirius seemed to be brooding, but he brightened upon Audrey's entrance.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" Audrey said.

"Not at all, dear," Molly said, shaking off her tense expression and standing. "Can I get you anything? Have you eaten yet?"

"Just grabbing an apple here, thanks," Audrey said as she took fruit from a bowl on the counter. "Are you waiting for Professor McGonagall too?"

"Yes, she's got news from Hogwarts," Arthur said. "And it doesn't sound good."

Before he could elaborate there was a knock at the front door, and Arthur went to answer it. He re-entered the kitchen followed by Professor McGonagall and Snape. Sirius's face darkened, and he stared daggers at Snape, which was returned by the Potions master with equal menace.

Arthur clicked the door closed and cast an Imperturbable spell on the door behind them, shaking his head. Perhaps the twins' listening device hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Apologies for coming on such short notice," McGonagall began, "but we've just gotten word from Dumbledore. This will be brought up at our next formal meeting, of course, but as you've got students at the school, and as you're going to be working with us…" Here McGonagall's sharp, spectacled eyes met Audrey's. "I think you should know sooner rather than later.

"A new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has been appointed," she continued gravely. "Not by Dumbledore, but by the Ministry."

"Why is the Ministry involved with Hogwarts employment?" Sirius asked.

"Frankly, we've been having difficulty filling the position," McGonagall replied. Snape sniffed heavily. "As we hadn't filled it, the Ministry took the responsibility upon themselves to appoint one of their own to our staff: Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic."

"She's very high-ranking," remarked Arthur with surprise. "She's second to Cornelius Fudge himself."

"Ministry presence at the school is probably meant to seem like they're making the school safer," Molly said. "But they just want to keep an eye on Dumbledore, don't they?"

"That's our thoughts on it, Molly," McGonagall nodded. "We're being watched. The paranoia from the Ministry is escalating immensely. First the slander from the Prophet, then Potter's trial, and now this."

"Do they think Dumbledore's trying to take over the Ministry or something?" Audrey said, wanting to laugh at the ridiculous notion.

McGonagall sighed. "Fudge has been afraid of that since he got the job as Minister of Magic. He never trusted that Dumbledore really wasn't interested in power, even though he turned down the offer to be Minister himself."

It was curious, Audrey considered. Was such an influential, brilliant man like Dumbledore really satisfied with being Headmaster of a Wizarding school?

"Maybe this isn't all bad," Audrey ventured instead. "Maybe this Umbridge character actually has good intentions and wants to teach and help protect the students."

There was a pause before Arthur answered. "Dolores has a bit of a reputation. She's fiercely loyal to the Ministry and everything it stands for. And she can be particularly nasty to those she sees as standing in her way. If she suspects Dumbledore to be a threat to the Ministry, she's no ally to us."

"We're not completely writing her off just yet," McGonagall said. "We can't know until the term begins at Hogwarts just how this will play out. But we should be aware of what we could be up against, just in case. We take for granted that Hogwarts is safe territory, and so long as Dumbledore is in charge it will continue to be so, but there may be an enemy in our midst. Now more than ever, it is vital that we stand together."

Her green eyes studied each person in the room. Satisfied, she continued, "That's our update from Hogwarts anyway. I know Remus is in Durham. How is Bill getting on with the goblins?"

"Very slowly, as is expected," Arthur sighed. "They're not easily won over and they expect great gifts on each visit as a manner of respect."

"A selfish and greedy standard, if you ask me," Molly added sourly.

"Any further news from Hagrid?" Arthur said.

"No, but Madame Maxime has confirmed she's home safely in France," McGonagall said.

"And what of Voldemort?" Sirius said. The room fell silent, but Sirius's eyes bored into Snape. "What is the latest update from the Dark Lord?"

Snape's black eyes stared back at him. "He remains quiet," he said in a cold voice. "As I mentioned at the last meeting, the Ministry seems to be doing his job for him when it comes to Dumbledore and public perception."

As the chilly stare-down continued, McGonagall turned her own gaze to Audrey. "Now, you have some questions for me about your position."

McGonagall waited expectantly, but Audrey suddenly felt her concerns about creating lessons for her students were less important. The Order could potentially be waging a war with the Ministry, and Voldemort was biding his time, waiting for the perfect chance to return to power. What did it matter that she was nervous about teaching her Muggles Studies students when real troubles threatened the school and Order at that moment?

"Your letter answered my main question," Audrey said casually. "I'm sort of just looking for general teaching advice if you've got it."

McGonagall smiled. "Audrey, you're a bright, savvy woman. You're going to be just fine. Asking questions shows that you care, which is important. Our whole staff is happy to help you adjust. Severus included."

Snape finally tore his eyes away from Sirius to give Audrey a sour smile. "Of course." He looked like he'd rather be vomited on by a flobberworm than help Audrey in any way.

"On that note, I must be off," McGonagall said, standing. "I've got to talk to Professor Grubbly-Plank, as we don't know when Hagrid will be returning. We may be in need of a Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

Snape stood too, and Sirius crowed, "Must you leave too? So soon?"

"I'm afraid so," Snape snarled.

Molly stood quickly, ushering the two professors out of the room. "I'll see you out. Thank you so much for coming by. You're welcome any time…"

Sirius tilted his chair back with a satisfied smirk but blanched when he saw Arthur looking at him with pursed lips.

"What?"

Arthur sighed. "I know there's a lot of bad blood between you and Severus, but we're on the same side, Sirius."

"What are you on about, nothing happened! I was being a considerate host!"

"How can we expect to take on Voldemort if we're fighting with each other? You heard Minerva – we have to stand together…"

"I know that," Sirius frowned deeply. "I've had this lecture before."

"It's not a lecture, its—"

"Come off it, Arthur," Sirius groaned, standing with agitation. "You can't tell me that prick isn't every bit as antagonistic as I am. Yet I'm the one getting scolded every day."

"Sirius…" Arthur began, but Sirius stormed out of the kitchen, nearly mowing down Molly as she returned from the hall. As the Weasleys watched him leave, Audrey followed him.

"Hey," she called to him as they reached the foyer.

Sirius turned in frustration. "I'm sorry you had to hear all that, Audrey, but I'm just getting sick and tired—"

"Sirius…" Audrey tried to interrupt.

"—of being treated like I'm some kind of—"

"Maybe we should talk about this somewhere else." Audrey nodded at the ear-shaped device that floated beside them. Sirius looked just in time to see it being hoisted up to the first floor and watch the Hogwarts kids scatter. His face softened as Harry, the last to leave, nodded at him and made his way back to his room.

"Come on," he said in a low growl. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her down a hallway and into a room full of furniture covered in sheets. In the center was a large table, like it had come from a board room of some major company.

"Why don't we have Order meetings in here?" Audrey said, approaching the massive table.

"Doesn't seem right to have them where old Wizarding families used to gather to talk about how important it was to keep bloodlines pure and all that. Arrange a marriage or two, discuss prejudices, you know the drill."

Audrey's brow furrowed. "Fair enough."

"I never had an arranged marriage."

"I didn't ask if you did."

"Just thought it might be something you'd find interesting."

Audrey felt her face flush and was grateful the curtains were drawn and the room was dark.

Sirius sighed. "Do you think I'm childish?"

"No," Audrey said.

"The rest of the Order keeps treating me like a child. I may as well be eavesdropping with the kids upstairs."

"But you're not, are you? You're just as much a major part of the Order as the others."

"I'm not though, am I? I'm cooped up here in this house, useless to everyone. I'm finally free from Azkaban, ready to fight, and I can't."

"You won't be a wanted man forever," Audrey told him. "In the meantime, you've offered up this house for the cause. You're supporting everyone. I mean, you recruited Nat and me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

"Maybe that would have been for the better," Sirius said solemnly.

"Well, if it weren't for you, I'd be stuck in the Muggle world with a man who apparently didn't love me, instead of here with y-" Audrey choked on what she nearly confessed but managed to save face. "-where I belong."

Sirius remained silent. After a while, Audrey said, "What's meant to be will be, right? Maybe you're meant to be here now, but the time will come when you can burst through that door and do all the fighting you want. Severus included."

Sirius laughed at Audrey's imitation of McGonagall's words in the kitchen earlier. Finally, he said, "God, I hate that man."

"Do I want to know why?"

"I bet you do," Sirius said. "We were in school together, you know."

"No way! Was he as greasy than as he is now?"

"Of course, and just as much of a git. He was an early Death Eater as well, before he was out of Hogwarts."

"Are you joking?"

"I'm not. Anyway, I wasn't the shining example of an honorable man that you see before you now when I was in school. James and I would play pranks on the prick because he was so insufferable. We called him Snivellus."

"Oh no," Audrey said. "You were a bully!"

"I'm not proud of it," Sirius admitted. "We were just having fun with someone who deserved what he got. But I'll admit I took it too far. He was obsessed with us and where we went every month. Naturally, we left as Animagi to be with Remus as he transformed in the Shrieking Shack. Dumbledore set up a passage for him at the Whomping Willow so he could leave discreetly. Snivellus was getting very close to figuring us out, so for a laugh I told him about the passageway. He'd get quite a scare and it would all be because he stuck his nose in other people's business. Maybe he'd learn his lesson. I told James what I'd done and instead of finding it funny, he was very concerned. That night when Snape tried to sneak to the Willow, James pulled him away. Saved his life, he did. I don't think Snape ever forgave him for that. He never forgave me anyway. He's hated us ever since."

"Snape could have been killed," Audrey said, trying to hide her horror.

"But he wasn't," Sirius said. "He lived on to become a bloody Death Eater and now he has the nerve to come to my house, saying he's on our side now. And Dumbledore places him as Voldemort's right-hand man as some sort of spy. Just because Dumbledore's fallen for this guy's act, doesn't mean I have to. You have every right to be disgusted with that nasty prank I did when I was fifteen, so does he for that matter. I regret it myself. But that doesn't excuse the monster he grew up to be. Now I'm supposed to believe that he's fighting for the Order, he's down in the trenches, spying on Voldemort, all from the good of his heart because he's seen the error in his ways."

Audrey didn't know what to say. How could Dumbledore trust a man that was known to be a Death Eater to return to the side of You-Know-Who and expect him to remain loyal? She could understand where Sirius's fury stemmed from, but she understood he spoke from a place of envy as well. This scum of a man got to place himself in the thick of the fight, just where Sirius wanted to be, while Sirius remained trapped in the house he loathed.

"Snape has his role to play, whether we understand it or not," Audrey began. "As do we. I'm glad you're here to keep tabs on him at any rate. I respect Dumbledore, obviously, but Snape seems to be a massive risk."

"Dumbledore always knows best, right?" Sirius said, though there was a sourness behind those words.

"He's our leader," Audrey said. "But it's important to keep in mind he's as human as the rest of us."

Sirius nodded and ran a hand through his hair. "No one else seems to remember that, do they?"

Audrey agreed but was suddenly afraid of her own words. Of course, she respected and trusted Dumbledore – the greatest wizard of the century and the founder and leader of the Order of the Phoenix. She was only human – she naturally had doubts and concerns, but she never intended to voice them aloud. However, if there was anyone she could trust with her insecurities, she knew it was Sirius. And they seemed to share the same idea.

"I've got to run and feed Buckbeak," Sirius said. "You're welcome to come, if you like?"

Audrey nodded, and Sirius smiled. He opened the door for her, and Audrey was only a few steps into the hall when a gnarled old house elf wearing a filthy rag appeared in front of her.

"Yet another Mudblood steps foot in this house," the elf said crudely. "Mistress would never allow such scum these halls…"

"Kreacher!" Sirius shouted with distaste. "What are you up to?"

The house elf bowed comically low. "Kreacher is on his way to clean, as he is meant to. Master knows Kreacher lives to serve the House of Black…"

"You're doing some job," Sirius said. "We're doing your work for you, aren't we? I return after twelve years and this place is a disaster. It hasn't gotten any better, has it?"

"Kreacher is cleaning, as he is meant to. Master knows–"

"Get to it then. Go away, Kreacher!"

The house elf bowed and was forced to comply with the command. He moved away, mumbling to himself, "Mistress would be horrified to see the traitors and Mudbloods in this house. Kreacher must stand by while Master soils these halls…"

"So, that's your house elf," Audrey said finally.

"I'm afraid so," Sirius admitted. "He's a perfect product of the house he comes from."

"Aren't we all," Audrey said. Sirius met her gaze and didn't respond. Instead, she followed him into the kitchen, and watched him gather food for Buckbeak, increasingly curious about this strange man she was starting to care for an awful lot.


	21. Chapter 21: Bitter Sweet Symphony

Remus didn't return to Grimmauld Place until Wednesday evening. Dinner had already been cleared away, and most of the house had retired for the night. Molly – usually one of the first to head to bed – remained alert at the kitchen table chatting with Audrey and Tonks, who had stopped by before her night shift on guard duty for the Order.

"Remus!" Tonks exclaimed as he entered the kitchen. She stood quickly so that her chair nearly toppled to the ground behind her.

"Hello, Dora," Remus said with a weary smile and a nod. "Molly. Audrey."

"Can I get you some tea?" Tonks said, making a start for the cupboard, but Remus beat her to it. With a flick of his wand, a mug was filling with piping hot tea before Tonks could take a second step.

"I've got it, not to worry," Remus said. His graying hair was askew, but he was in nowhere near as bad of shape as when Audrey saw him the night after his transformation.

"I hope you don't find me rude," he continued, taking the mug in his hand. "But I'm going to take this cup up to bed with me."

"Of course, dear, you must be exhausted from your trip," Molly nodded. "Get some rest."

With a grateful smile, Remus swept out of the room. "Good night, ladies."

"Sweet dreams," Tonks called. She bit her lip, seeming to regret the strange turn of phrase, but Remus had already gone.

Molly smirked into her teacup and watched Tonks as she stared at the kitchen doorway, chewing on her thumbnail.

Tonks shook herself. "Sorry, my mind was somewhere else for a minute there."

"I have a guess where it went," Molly said slyly.

Tonks mouth dropped open. Finally, she said, "Is it obvious?"

"Yes," Molly and Audrey said together.

"Merlin's beard," Tonks moaned, and she covered her face with her hands.

"Are you going to tell him?" Molly asked.

"It's getting to the point where I should, isn't it?" Tonks sighed. "But if you all know, then he must know. And if he knows and hasn't mentioned it, maybe he's not interested. Maybe he's gone to bed just to avoid me."

"Or maybe he's a tired man returned from a long journey who just needs some sleep," Audrey suggested. She'd never seen Tonks get so worked up. At Hogwarts, she didn't date very much, but Tonks was never known to be afraid to voice her feelings.

"Men can be a bit thick," Molly said bluntly. "Even the best of them need help seeing what's right in front of them. Just follow your heart, dove. You'll know what to do when the time comes."

"Thanks," Tonks said. She stood a bit shakily. "On that note, I better go relieve Arthur. I'll send him on home to you, Molly. Take care, Audrey."

As Tonks left, Molly turned her wry look to Audrey.

"Am I your next target?" Audrey laughed. "You already know about the drama with Paul."

"I do," Molly said.

"I'm still working on getting over that."

"Of course, you are, dear."

"Really, I haven't got the energy to deal with anything beyond that."

"Completely understandable."

Molly sipped her tea, watching Audrey and waiting for her platitudes to turn into the truth. Audrey's cheeks burned at the thought that her feelings for Sirius could be as plain to see as Tonks's for Remus. A loud screech from the top floor of the house interrupted her thoughts.

"Sounds like someone on the third floor could use some help with their hippogriff," Molly chided. "You've been spending a fair amount of time with it, haven't you? Perhaps you could help."

Audrey's entire face flushed at that. It was true, she'd been spending a lot of time with Sirius that week as he tended to Buckbeak. She didn't even flinch anymore when the hippogriff snatched a dead ferret from her arms before she offered it. She stood from her chair calmly.

"It's rather late, I think I'll head to bed now," Audrey said.

"Good night then," Molly said with a wink.

As Audrey reached the landing, she fully intended to go to her own bedroom, change into nightclothes, and sleep peacefully. But another outburst came from the top floor, and it couldn't hurt to check on Buckbeak, could it? Just to make sure the hippogriff was really alright. Before she knew it, she found herself on the third floor. She knocked lightly on the door of the master bedroom and then opened it.

There she found Sirius wearing only pajama bottoms, coaxing a nervous Buckbeak. The hippogriff's mighty wings opened and closed, and his hooves stomped into the ground as he teetered around the room. Audrey only had eyes for Sirius's pale back and how the muscles in his shoulders moved as he stroked Buckbeak's coat.

"Is everything alright in here?" Audrey said finally.

Sirius looked up in surprise. "Audrey! I'm sorry if we woke you. Buckbeak just gets restless at times. Figures this happens just when Moony gets back from his trip and needs to sleep."

"So it goes, right?" she said. "Do you need a hand?"

"Actually if you run down to the end of the hall to my room, would you mind grabbing the blue blanket at the top of the wardrobe?"

"Sure thing," Audrey said. As she pushed open the last door on the left, she realized she'd never been in Sirius's bedroom before.

It looked like the room of a typical teenage boy. The bedspread and curtains were red and gold, and the walls were covered with Gryffindor merchandise. She spotted a few posters of scantily-clad Muggle women, the pictures frozen as they are in non-magic magazines, and several images of Muggle motorcycles. Audrey imagined Sirius as a rebellious teenager, knowing nothing would anger his parents more than Gryffindor pride and Muggle paraphernalia. She found the blue blanket easily and returned to the master bedroom.

"You're a star," Sirius said when Audrey handed over the blanket. Buckbeak eyed Audrey warily, but when Sirius draped the blanket over his hindquarters, the hippogriff relaxed. After a moment, he folded his legs under himself to rest on the planked floor.

"Thank God," Sirius sighed. "He had a nasty tantrum about a week after we moved into this bloody house. He screeched for three hours. Thought we were on that path again tonight. I really appreciate your help."

"No worries," Audrey said. She smiled at him. As they looked at each other, there was a tightness in Audrey's chest. The air seemed charged between them. Sirius's jaw clenched – did he feel it too? Audrey wanted to close the meter-long space separating them, leap into his arms, press her lips to his…

"What does your tattoo mean?" Audrey said instead. It gave her an excuse to stare at his chest.

"They're ancient runes," Sirius said. "About the only class where I paid attention at Hogwarts. It means 'more or less human.'"

Based on Audrey's confused look, he continued, "It's meant to be funny – since I'm an Animagus and can become a dog. But I suppose the joke hasn't aged well."

His face fell at that, and Audrey could see all he suffered as if his memories flashed through her own mind: the loss of his friends, his imprisonment, his life in hiding, and no prospect of freedom in the near future. She fought the urge to embrace him, to hold his face in her hands, to kiss the past away…

"So it's not a tough guy prison tattoo?" she said instead.

Sirius laughed. "Afraid not. Sorry to disappoint. I got it in Birmingham just after Hogwarts graduation."

"What on earth were you doing in Birmingham?"

"James and I did a motorcycle tour of the country once school was over," he said. "Saw some sights, caused some mayhem, before James would settle down and marry Lily, and we'd all sign on to the First Order of the Phoenix."

"You had a motorcycle?" Audrey grinned, remembering the posters in Sirius's bedroom.

"Absolutely, it was a massive thing. And could fly. I bought it off a fellow Hogsmeade in seventh year. I think Hagrid's got it now. At least, I lent it to him the night James and Lily died."

Sirius was lost in thought for a moment, but then he turned to Audrey. "I'll have to ask Hagrid about it when he returns. I'll take you for a ride. You'll love it, Audrey, it's fucking thrilling to roar through the air like that."

Audrey could see it: her arms around his waist, wind whipping their hair, just the two of them surrounded by sky. Sirius beamed at her, and the way his eyes shone made Audrey wonder if he was the one contemplating embracing her. Finally, he clenched his jaw again, and the light in his eyes faded. He turned his gaze to the ground.

"Anyway, thanks again for your help. Good night." And he left the room.

Buckbeak watched him leave, and then turned his golden eyes onto Audrey, cocking his head as if to say, "Is he serious?"

"Yes, I'm afraid that's exactly what he is," Audrey mumbled.

The rest of the week passed by in a blur, but Audrey at last felt like her lesson plans were coming together. She knew that wouldn't be anything worth reporting at the Order meeting on Saturday evening, but she was eager to hear updates on the other members' activities.

She sat between Natalia and Tonks as the meeting convened. When Mundungus, the last to arrive, had taken his seat, Molly muttered an Imperturbable Charm toward the door, and Dumbledore addressed them all.

"Once again, thank you all for joining me here tonight. I assure you I won't take up too much of your weekend. I have little news of my own to share, though I regret to inform you all that there is still no news from Hagrid. When Maxime last saw him, he was still in the giants' territory, so we are not sure whether he remains with them or elsewhere. Rest assured, Hagrid is a capable man who can take care of himself, so I expect we will hear from him shortly. Now, Bill, what is the news with the goblins?"

As Bill admitted there has been little progress in communication with the Gringotts goblins, Audrey shuddered. Snape had reported there were likely Death Eaters among the giants – Hagrid could be dead! She remembered the large, kind groundskeeper at Hogwarts, and the thought of harm coming to the man broke her heart.

She came back to her senses as Kingsley reported that Emmeline Vance was currently on guard duty at the Department of Mysteries. Sturgis Podmore, who Audrey had never met, was missing – no one had heard from him for two weeks. Tonks tensed beside her. Audrey admired the professional vigilance with which Tonks approached the Order meetings. She was so fun and light-hearted speaking to her one-on-one, but she took her job seriously. If Tonks was concerned about Podmore's disappearance, Audrey noted, they all should be.

Remus reported on his time with the northern werewolf pack next, and then McGonagall updated the Order about the new Defense Against the Arts professor – Dolores Umbridge, appointed from the Ministry. This drew a lot of outcries from the table, especially from the Aurors, who were familiar with this apparently wicked woman.

"She's a complete psychopath," Tonks said, shaking her head.

"A villain," Hestia Jones nodded. "I mean, we'll be glad to have her out of the Ministry, but you'll have a terrible time with her at Hogwarts."

"And you'll have the Ministry in Hogwarts," Moody warned. "That's not a situation we wanted at all, especially as Fudge is painting you, Dumbledore, as a madman. Now he'll be getting daily reports on your every move. Discretion will be more vital than ever." His magical eye swiveled to Audrey, which unsettled her. She supposed she hadn't had the chance to prove her loyalty to the cause yet, so in Moody's magical view, that made her a risk. The rest of the table still shouted about Umbridge, but Audrey squared her shoulders, stared back at Moody, and nodded gravely. She thought she saw a small smile on his scarred face, but the eye moved on to scanning the others in the room.

Finally, the meeting was adjourned. Snape was noticeably absent. Audrey was disappointed: she wanted to watch him, after hearing Sirius's story about him in school and where his allegiances used to lie. Instead she watched Hestia stand from the table brusquely and zoom out of the door without a second glance at anyone. Audrey wondered if she still held ill feelings toward Sirius after their affair. She searched for Sirius at the other end of the table, but he hadn't noticed. He was in a deep conversation with Kingsley.

Eventually the crowd thinned so that the usual folk remained for dinner: Natalia, Bill, Tonks, Moody, and Mundungus, along with the residents of Number Twelve. The Hogwarts kids joined them shortly, and Audrey found herself gossiping with Ginny, Natalia, and Tonks at the far end of the table.

"Trust me, you don't want to meet Phlegm. She's terrible," Ginny told them seriously. Audrey stole a glance at Bill, but he was chatting with Arthur and Moody and was not listening to their conversation.

"Surely, Fleur's not so bad," Audrey said.

"She is," Ginny assured her. "She flounces around, sticking her nose up at everything. She just always would rather be doing something else. It's a nightmare being around her honestly."

"But why would Bill be with someone like that?" Audrey asked.

"She's part Veela," Ginny said.

Natalia whistled. "Can't blame him there."

As a delightful dinner was set before them, Audrey found herself seated in front of Tonks and Remus. On her left, Ginny and Ron were arguing about Quidditch, and to her right, Natalia was deeply engaged in a conversation with Mundungus about the underground potions market. As she saw Tonks and Remus only had eyes for each other, Audrey was alone with her plate. She watched as the twins tried to explain something seemingly illogical to a thoroughly unconvinced Hermione; Moody, Arthur, and Bill talked about some issue occurring at the Ministry; and Sirius and Harry laughed together warmly. She smiled watching it all; she was happy to be a part of this family. She caught Molly's eye, who nodded at her and beamed. This is what she loved – she wanted to bring her family together and she loved seeing it grow. Audrey was honored that Molly had welcomed her so openly. She felt like she could conjure a Patronus right then and there.

Soon enough, the hour grew late and the Hogwarts kids were sent to bed. Mundungus and Moody said their farewells, followed by Tonks and Bill. Even Natalia finally stifled one too many yawns and went home. Audrey sat with Arthur, Molly, Remus, and Sirius, but she was so tired, she knew she would soon be heading to bed herself.

"I love having the house so full," Molly grinned. She was in a chipper mood. "Merlin, the kids will be going back to school in the next week. We'll be back in The Burrow soon. It'll be so quiet."

"And you'll be off too, Audrey," Arthur nodded. "You'll be going to Hogwarts. How excited you must be!"

"Absolutely," Audrey smiled, but she faltered as she saw Sirius's face turn to steel across the table.

"Ah, you'll be wandering the halls of Hogwarts again. How wonderful!" Molly said merrily. "Sure, you'll be teaching, but Hogwarts is so awe-inspiring even as an adult. Only nine days now until the start of term – single digits! Have you got all your lessons sorted?"

Audrey opened her mouth to respond, but Sirius kicked back his chair icily, mumbling an apology, and left the room. Her mouth still agape, she looked to the others at the table. The Weasleys exchanged confused glances, but Remus pursed his lips, not looking surprised at all.

"I'm… I'm gonna…" Audrey didn't know how to finish her sentence, but she stood and followed Sirius up the stairs.

"Sirius!" she called and she finally stopped him on the first-floor landing. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Sirius shrugged. "Just tired. Ready to head to bed."

"Oh, if that's all, off you go," Audrey snipped.

"Much obliged," Sirius grunted and continued up the next flight of stairs. Audrey rolled her eyes and followed, stopping him on the next landing.

"That's not all, you muppet," she said, holding his wrist fast. "Look, if this is about Harry leaving again, it's really going to be good for him to finish school and—"

"It's not just about Harry," Sirius sighed, closing his eyes. Audrey waited.

Finally, his grey eyes met hers. "You know I'm going to miss you, right?"

Audrey's heart skipped a beat. Before she could even consider a response, Sirius shook his head and turned to climb up the next set of stairs.

"Sirius."

He brought his eyes back to hers, and in their grey depths, Audrey saw something familiar – the same overflow of emotion that seemed to rise from her chest to her face, threatening to spill out of her mouth. He was holding back, just as she was. He was going to walk away, the same as always. But this time she wasn't going to let him. Audrey took hold of his hand, pulling him closer.

"I know," she told him.

A glimmer of hope flashed in those eyes, but still he restrained himself. He opened his mouth, forming a question. She brought her lips to his to stop the words in their tracks. Their lips met softly, and Sirius froze. Audrey nearly pulled back – this felt so right, but did Sirius think it was a mistake?

But then Sirius responded. He pressed his lips firmly, earnestly, against Audrey's, and grabbed her waist, pushing her back against the wall and grinding his hips into her. Audrey's fingers found their way into his hair, tangling in the dark locks. They clung to each other ferociously as their kiss deepened. They couldn't get close enough to one another.

Molly's light voice and a hearty laugh from Arthur carried from the foyer. Soon, the Weasleys and Remus would make their way upstairs, and Audrey wasn't fond of the idea of their intrusion on this moment. Reluctantly, she broke her lips away from Sirius's.

"Come on," she panted, pulling him by the hand toward her room.

Sirius grinned and let her lead him down the hall.


	22. Chapter 22: High and Dry

Audrey awoke in her bed with Sirius's arm around her. The rush of the previous night flooded back to her, and her heart raced. The passion between them was indescribable. She had imagined what sleeping with Sirius would be like, but the real thing was better than she dreamed. Now here he was in her bed… still asleep, Audrey determined, from his rhythmic breathing. She rolled over to face him, and the movement woke him. He inhaled sharply, brows furrowed, but then he softened when his eyes met Audrey's.

"Morning," she said.

"Morning," he smiled. He brought his hand to her cheek, and she waited for his kiss. It didn't come. Instead his brows knit together again, and he rolled onto his back.

"What time is it?"

"Early, I think," Audrey guessed. Pale light filtered in between her curtains where they weren't drawn properly.

Sirius sighed. Finally, he stood and pulled on his trousers and robe. He ran a hand through his hair. It was flat on one side where he'd slept on it.

"I need a shower," he said.

"Right," Audrey said. "I'm meant to meet Nat for breakfast so I better get moving."

Sirius nodded and left the room, pulling her door closed behind him, leaving her naked and alone. She lied. She had no plans with Natalia, but Sirius seemed to have no intention of returning to her room. The story left her mouth before she realized what happened. Why had Sirius left so urgently? She had been hoping to carry on their fun from the night before that morning, and even as he dressed to leave her behind, she wanted him. As he'd stretched lean arms through the sleeves of his robe, she remembered those arms wrapped around her, reaching for her, eagerly exploring every part of her. But the door had shut behind him now without so much as a glance her way.

Audrey wanted to bury herself under her blankets for the day, but instead, she pulled on jeans and a T-shirt and left the house. She could do with a shower too but she dreaded running into anyone in the house. She probably missed Molly waking up to prepare breakfast by mere minutes. She walked along Grimmauld Place and turned onto the main road, not aiming to go anywhere in particular. She found a Muggle café and ordered a coffee and scone. She grabbed a Muggle newspaper but had difficulty immersing herself in the stories.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, ruminating over the past 12 hours, but finally she noticed it was past 9 AM. She needed to talk with her best friend, and Natalia was likely awake by then, so Audrey searched for a quiet place to Apparate. In a few minutes, she knocked on Natalia's apartment door.

"I think I fucked up," Audrey said when Natalia answered. She was surprised there was waver in her voice.

Almost instantly, tea and biscuits were produced, and the two friends were seated on the couch. Audrey told Natalia everything.

"Now don't take this the wrong way, but I have to ask," Natalia said when Audrey finished, "is this a rebound thing from Paul? I mean, it's only been a week and half since that all went down."

"That's the thing, Nat," Audrey said. "I haven't been thinking about Paul at all."

"You caught feelings for Sirius before you and Paul broke up?"

Audrey hesitated but she knew the truth. She nodded.

"That explains a lot," Natalia said. "You're going to have to talk to him eventually, you know, since you're living in his house."

"I know that," Audrey moaned. "Maybe I should leave. Should I move in with you?"

"You're always welcome to, but I don't think that's what you want to do. And another thing, I don't know a whole lot about men, but for what it's worth I'm not impressed with him. Maybe he can't exactly leave you high and dry since he can't leave his house, but I'm thinking that's exactly what he wanted to do."

"Oh, God, Hestia!" Audrey remembered with a start.

"Hestia Jones?" Natalia asked.

"Yeah, the day I moved in, he was just ending a fling with her. She was furious. Apparently, he didn't think anything of it, but she sure did. I'm doing the same exact thing, aren't I? Am I an idiot?"

Natalia thought for a moment. "I wouldn't compare yourself to that fling with Hestia. We don't know the whole situation there, do we? It's something to consider though. I think you just need to talk to him."

"You're right," Audrey said, putting her face in her hands.

"Just be careful, okay? And please let me know if he's a jerk again. I love any excuse to punch people in the face."

Audrey laughed at that. "Enough about me, anyway. How are things going with Jackie?"

"Well enough, I'd say," Natalia smiled. "She's probably really enjoying herself, eavesdropping on our every word from the other room."

The bedroom door clicked open, and Jackie peeked her head out, a pile of curls tied on her head and an apologetic look in her eye. "I didn't want to interrupt."

"You were loving the goss," Natalia said. "Get over here and join us."

Audrey burst out laughing. She wasn't mad at all that her troubles were shared with Jackie. In fact, she welcomed any other advice.

Jackie shrugged when asked her opinion and snatched a biscuit from the table. "I did have a boyfriend before I realized I preferred women. One man isn't going to be the same as another, but he had major communication issues. Kept everything bottled up and thought it was best. Make him start talking now. And if what he's got to say doesn't work for you, leave him, sis."

"Mm-hmm, preach it," Natalia nodded.

Audrey agreed and laughed with them. They were good company, but when she made her goodbyes, she still wasn't ready to face anyone at Number Twelve. It's easy enough to spend a full day out in London, so it was well after dinnertime before she finally returned to Grimmauld Place.

Molly was having tea with Arthur and sprung from her seat when she heard Audrey enter the house.

"There you are!" she said. "We were all wondering where you'd gone off to. Sirius said you were busy."

"Did he?" Audrey said, feeling her face flush.

Molly's eyes narrowed. "Is everything alright? Has something happened?"

Audrey shook her head. "Of course not, I was just out in town. I'm sorry if I worried you. I think I'll head to bed now though."

She felt Molly's eyes on her back as she headed for the stairs. But she did not intend to go to her room just yet. She found Sirius on the second-floor library. He was gazing at the shelves and jumped when Audrey entered the room. Light from the hallway spilled across the carpeted floor – one small reading lamp beside a chair cast stretching shadows on the wall.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Audrey said from the doorway.

Sirius shook his head and said nothing. Audrey entered the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

"You're brooding," she noted.

"I am not," Sirius scoffed. "I don't do that."

"Well, what would you call it? Sulking in the dark by your onesie?"

Even with his face only half-illuminated by the lamp, she could see Sirius smirk. "That's much better."

Audrey sighed. "Look, about last night. I don't want you to worry about me. It's not a big deal if you think it was a mistake or—"

"Mistake?"

"If you have any regrets or anything. I'm a grown-up. I can handle it."

"Audrey, I don't regret anything."

"Well, you left pretty quickly in the morning. What am I supposed to make of that?"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair before responding. "I'm trapped in this house. I can't be who you need me to be while I'm stuck here. You shouldn't waste your time with someone like me."

"What do you know about what I need?" Audrey said, affronted.

"I can't take you out on a proper date, or a holiday, even for a walk on the street," Sirius said. "You need someone who can take you to the bloody moon. I may never even leave this building again."

"I haven't been living under a rock these past weeks," Audrey said, her frustration growing. "I've been here in this house with you. I'm pretty hip to your situation. There's no way you can say what I need. I don't even know what I need. All I know is that I'd rather be trapped in this house with you than on a date in Paris with Pierce Brosnan."

Sirius blinked. "What's a Pierce Brosnan?"

"The point is I know what I want. I want you. Do you know what you want?"

"It doesn't matter what I want," Sirius muttered.

"That's masochistic bullshit, and you know it."

Sirius was silent for a moment. Finally, he met her gaze, eyes widened. "I'm an idiot."

"I'm listening."

"Can I be your idiot?"

Audrey crossed the room and jabbed a finger into Sirius's chest. "Don't you pull this nonsense again, this woe-is-me bit, acting like you know what's good for me better than I would. If you ever…"

Sirius cut off her threat by bringing his mouth to hers. She relaxed into his arms and deepened the kiss. It seemed like hours had passed when they finally broke away from each other. She rested her head on his chest.

"You snore a bit, did you know?" Sirius said.

Audrey gasped in mock-horror. "How dare you make such an accusation."

"Ordinarily, it's a deal-breaker for me, but I'll make an exception in your case."

"How generous of you."

"Not everyone wakes up as radiantly beautiful as you."

Audrey laughed. "You know, it's a shame you walked out so early this morning. I had plans for you."

"You don't say? What sort of plans?"

Audrey grinned and pushed him into the arm chair. "Take a seat, Mr. Black, and I'll show you."


End file.
